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This Crock Pot Baked Ziti recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep with uncooked pasta, three types of cheese, and marinara sauce layered right in your slow cooker. No need to boil noodles or dirty extra dishes, this dinner is completely hands-off!
Crock pot Baked Ziti will be your favorite lazy dinner.
Crock pot Baked Ziti will be your favorite lazy dinner.It's completely hands-off, which is perfect for busy weeknights. You literally add uncooked pasta, three types of cheese, and marinara sauce into your slow cooker, turn it on, and walk away. There's no boiling noodles, no pre-cooking, no stress. The three-cheese mixture (cream cheese, ricotta, and parmesan) creates yummy cheesy pockets throughout the pasta, while the mozzarella on top gets bubbly. I prep it in 10 minutes after lunch and then when dinner comes around, it's ready to serve!
If you love easy slow cooker recipes try our Ranch Pork Chops, Pot Roast, Chicken Tacos, Chicken Tikka Masala, Ribs, or Lasagna!
How to make Crock Pot Baked Ziti:
Prep Cheese Mixture and Sauce: Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta in a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixers until smooth then stir in garlic and basil. Combine both jars of pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and water in a separate bowl.
Assemble: Pour 2 cups of sauce in the bottom of your slow cooker then arrange ⅓ of the uncooked penne on top then dot half of the ricotta mixture on that and spread with a spoon. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top then repeat the layers again, ending with remaining uncooked penne and the remaining sauce.
Cook: Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 3 hours, or until pasta is tender. During the last few minutes, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese then place the lid back on to melt. If you want to place it under the broiler in the oven for 2 minutes to make the cheese golden and bubbly you can.
Serve crock pot baked ziti with homemade breadsticks, cheesy bread, or garlic knots and a green salad or French green beans!
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 24 oz jars marinara pasta sauce, or two batches of homemade marinara
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 16 ounces UNCOOKED ziti pasta, (or penne)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, , softened
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, (or cottage cheese)
- 2 cloves garlic, , minced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, , chopped
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil, for topping, optional
Instructions
- Make Cheese Layer: Add cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta to a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixers until smooth. Stir in garlic and basil.4 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, ½ cup ricotta cheese, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- Make Red Sauce: In a large bowl, combine both jars of pasta sauce, tomato sauce and water.2 24 oz jars marinara pasta sauce, 16 ounces tomato sauce, 1 cup water
- Assemble: Add 2 cups of sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with about ⅓ of the uncooked penne. Dot on half of the ricotta mixture and use a spoon to gently spread it out evenly. Top with ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese.16 ounces UNCOOKED ziti pasta, 1 ½ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Add another 2 cups of sauce. Top with ⅓ of the uncooked penne. Add remaining ricotta mixture and spread. Sprinkle on the remaining ¾ cup parmesan cheese. Add the remaining uncooked penne. Top with the remaining sauce. Make sure the ziti noodles are covered by the sauce so they cook appropriately. Top with mozzarella cheese.1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Cook: Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, or LOW for 3 hours, or until pasta is tender. Serve garnished with fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe September 2017. Updated May 2022 and January 2026.
Do you transfer to another dish before putting in the oven to brown?
I don’t (but my pot is oven-safe)
Can you use a crock pot liner (bag)?
Yes, that’s fine 🙂
When would you add the cooked meat if you wanted to add it?
Hi Jean,
If your adding already cooked meat, I would just stir it in near the end of cooking and allow the meat time to reheat in the mixture.
I made this to take into work for black friday, we had a skeleton crew so it was just 3 of us. I halved the recipe since it was just 3 of us. Also, I layered all the incredients in the crock overnight (with the exception of the mozz for the top, I saved that for the last 15 mins), and put the crock in the fridge with plastic wrap over the top to seal it.
Once I got into the office, sripped off the plastic wrap, put the lid on it, and plugged it in on low for 3 hours and 20 minutes. Threw the mozz on top, left it on low for another 15 mins, and we all dug in.
This came out great. I’d say halving it there was enough in there for 5 or 6 people. One of the women I work with took the leftovers home for her husband, so it was definitely a hit. We’re having a food day for something else next week, I’ll be setting it up again, except doing the full recipe then, and tossing in a pound of grass fed beef browned with the sauce. Should be pretty awesome.
I was a little bit concerned with setting it up the night before, I was worried the noodles would get too soft. There was no issue. This recipe is pretty awesome and very simple. Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience–especially the tips for making it the night before. I’m so happy it turned out so well! Thanks for commenting.
Great dish!! My kids and I loved it!! Will definitely make it again!!
Looks delicious! Do you just put the crockpot insert in your oven or do you transfer the ziti to another pan when you broil it?
I don’t use a crockpot insert since they are not safe for the oven.
I’m going to try this tonight. With only 3 people eating should I half the ingredients and half the time as well?
It would be fine to half the recipe–it will probably cook for 1.5-2 hours on high.
Thanks for the recipe. Showed my husband recipe. He is shopping list tomorrow. He is Italian. So this is right up our alley. Especially since I can put it in my crockpot and forget it. Thanks again
This sounds like it would be great to make on vacation in the hotel room, and convienient. It will just be my husband and I though, so how would I reduce this recipe to feed 2? I have a 6 (or 8) qt programmable crockpot.
Hi Heather,
This recipe feeds about 6-8 people. I would divide each ingredient by 3 to feed you and your husband! You will also need to reduce the cooking time! I hope you enjoy it!
So thankful for your site. Made this today. Hubby and boys loved this. Quick and easy.