This Slow Cooker Baked Ziti is made completely in the crockpot — even the pasta! It is so much easier than the traditional version but packs all of the same flavor! Includes step by step recipe video.
I know.
I’m not even 50 words in and I’ve cheated already.
This Crock Pot Baked Ziti is obviously NOT baked. Though I suppose if you were really set on it you could stir in an egg and some ricotta (although Serious Eats isn’t upset my recipe’s lack of it), spread it into a baking dish and bake it.
I, however, am not.
Because this Slow Cooker Baked Ziti is all about finding easy, crockpot meals that my family loves, don’t use a whole pile of dishes and are relatively healthy and hearty.
And the best part about slow cooker dinners?
That moment, often around 5:00, when you would normally be all like, “Riiiiiiiight…… dinner…..”, but instead you’ve got things totally under control.
How much do you feel like a rockstar in that moment?
Tips for cooking Crock Pot Pasta:
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know that figuring out how to cook pasta in the slow cooker was pretty life changing for me.
Take this Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Chili Mac for instance, or this Slow Cooker Healthier Hamburger Helper. We can’t get enough!
But there are a few tricks to getting it just right!
- Small pasta is best, but long is doable. Short pasta like macaroni, penne, rotini, and others work best in this Slow Cooker Baked Ziti because they’re less likely to clump and stick together. Long pasta cuts like spaghetti and fettucini are doable, but you may have to stir a couple more times in between.
- Turn your slow cooker to high when you add your pasta. It’s going to take longer to cook than if you were boiling it, but we don’t want it to take forever, so crank it up and let it go for 15 minutes or so, until it reaches your desired tenderness.
- Spread your pasta down into the sauce — try to make sure you don’t have too many sticking out or they may be dry.
- Don’t overcook — cooking pasta in the slow cooker takes longer than in boiling water, but it’s not going to take more than 20-25 minutes, so check at the 15 minute mark, and then try to gauge how much longer it needs at that point.
Variations on this Slow Cooker Baked Ziti:
I have one other confession: my Ziti is not Ziti. It’s Penne.
But you know what?
Ziti is not that easy to find around here, and since my “Baked” Ziti isn’t all that traditional in the first place, why cause a big fuss about it? (If you’re looking for another untraditional “Baked Ziti” recipe that doesn’t cook all day, try this One Pot Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage!)
If you insist, you can easily swap the penne for ziti noodles, and nothing will change.
Here are a few more ways to mix things up if you want:
- Try swapping ground beef for loose Italian sausage for a slightly spicy, extra flavorful kick.
- Try swapping ½ cup of the broth for ½ cup of cream for a creamy, tomato-based pasta
- You can easily swap the penne or ziti noodles for spaghetti and end up with spaghetti and meat sauce — just cut down the cook time on the noodles and stir every 5 minutes until cooked.
- You can easily bump up the veggie content by adding shredded carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, finely chopped kale or spinach — and no one will know!
More Crock Pot Pasta recipes:
- Crockpot Chicken and Noodles recipe
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese recipe
- Healthier Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Recipe
- Cheesy Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe + VIDEO
Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (or turkey or Italian sausage)
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 650 ml jar pasta sauce about 2 ½ cups
- 2 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
- 375 gram box Penne or Ziti or other short pasta (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion until browned. Stir in garlic and salt and cook 1 minute. (OPTIONAL: you can also add the raw onion and spices right into the slow cooker to save on time)
- Add beef mixture, basil, parsley, tomatoes, pasta sauce and water to a 4qt (or larger) slow cooker. Stir.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
- Turn slow cooker to high. Add pasta and stir until combined. Cover and continue cooking for 15-30 minutes (depending on how hot your slow cooker is) — check and stir at the 15 minute mark.
- Sprinkle with cheese and cover for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.
Nutrition Information
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Jonni says
Made this recipe for my office today – browned the ground beef (doubled to 2 lbs) and half of a large vidalia onion yesterday with some garlic and Italian seasoning last night and brought it this morning to add. I used a chunky pasta sauce with garlic and herbs, a large can of diced tomatoes with all the juice, and two smaller cans of fire-roasted garlic tomatoes as well with like 2 cups of chicken broth. Cooked on high for 3 hours and then put in some shredded mozzarella along with about 20 oz of penne (I had a box and a little extra). Cooked for an additional 25ish minutes checking the tenderness of the pasta and once it was right shy of perfect, put cheese on top, and the crockpot on warm for my colleagues to help themselves. It was delicious, easy, and a huge hit at the office, the consistency was perfect! Thank you for this recipe!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jonni! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Ellie says
Very yummy and easy to make! I used about a tablespoon each of fresh finely chopped basil and parsley instead of freeze dried. I put a tablespoon of minced garlic instead of a teaspoon. I also substituted a little over a half a cup of the chicken broth with half and half (since I didn’t have any cream). I used canned fire roasted diced tomatoes. Then I added some chopped zucchini and summer squash which were delicious additions. To top it off, I doubled the mozzarella cheese adding two cups instead of one (because I’m a cheese lover) and my whole family absolutely loved it! Highly recommend for a quick and easy, delicious meal. Would pair great with garlic bread.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ellie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback on substitutions!
Zaira M. says
Mine did not come out watery at all. I even added a little bit of cream and it came out amazing. Thank you for the super easy and tasty recipe that everyone in my house enjoyed!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Zaira! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Brittany says
This ended up being a watery soup for me. Flavour was promising but next time, I would skip the water/broth.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Brittany. The method has worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would of been a hit for you too.
Marisa Schmidt says
Delicious and easy!
I drained the diced tomato’s and I believe if you add a chunkier pasta sauce as well you don’t have the liquidity sauce I’ve heard some complain off. Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Marisa! So glad you enjoyed it!
Jeff says
Made it, not impressed. Just as easy to make regular spaghetti, too with cheese and bake for 5 minutes. The flavor was enjoyable
Jeanette says
We loved this! Used rotini. Subbed canned fire roasted tomatoes. Did Italian seasoning, added a bit more garlic and salt. Used shredded provolone and mozzarella on top. The recipe is easy to throw together. My 6 year old really enjoyed helping. Next time we’re adding mushrooms and sausage. Yummmm.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jeanette! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Cole says
It was okay. Followed all the instructions in the recipe and it turned out a bit dry. I even used a bit more sauce then was recommended. Also, the flavor was pretty bland. That could’ve been from the particular sauce that I chose? Maybe the chicken broth and tomatoes water it down? I’ll make it again, but will tweak a few things to get a punch of more flavor.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t to your taste, Cole. Myself (and others) have enjoyed it, so I wished it would of been a hit for you too! Glad you will try it again!
Heather Rios says
This recipe is so so easy, followed the instructions exactly and it turned out wonderful. I made it once earlier in the week with lean ground beef, and it was so good I made again for the company I had on NYE. I made it the second time with mostly lean ground beef again and ground sausage and it was a huge hit. Thank you so much for the easy but delicious recipe!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Heather! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
Angy says
I accidentally put the pasta in with all the other ingredients not realizing it was supposed to be added the last 30 mins of cooking 😩. I hope it ends up okay
The Recipe Rebel says
How did it turn out?
David says
Amazing! Soooo good!
Question (silly one)….
If wanting to double the serving size, do I double the recipe?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi David, if you are wanting this to have 16 servings, yes you would need to double the recipe. Although I don’t think it would fit in a 4 or 6qt slow cooker.
Sophia says
I followed the recipe exactly and mine turned out great. This has become a craving of mine and a staple. Absolutely love this recipe!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sophia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Liz says
This was amazing! Not sure why some people’s was more liquidy… it was perfect.
After I finished, I saw how you could spice things up and add mushrooms or spinach or both. I totally would have!
At what point in the cooking process would I add those items in?
Thanks for this amazing recipe!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Liz! I’m not sure why people are having that problem either. I’d probably just add those when all of the other ingredients get add.
Ellie says
This recipe was so delicious it was asked to be put into the dinner rotations! Super easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ellie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
c says
Ended up a little more soup-y and less pasta like?? I think it needs more meat.
Jada Miller says
My first time asking it, that’s how it was too. I just added an extra cup of pasta the next time I made it and it soaked up the extra liquid. I also drained the tomatoes before I added them since they put off liquid when you cook them. Worked great that way!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear Jada!
The Recipe Rebel says
Sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, C. It’s worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would of been a hit for you too.
Judy says
Can I make this recipe for a party and leave the slow cooker on warm for the evening or will the pasta over cook?
Sarah says
Should the pasta be cooked first prior to adding it to the slow cooker? Thanks!
Ty says
Dry pasta in the pot. I am making this recipe right now. The water/broth will cook the pasta.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah, no need to cook the pasta first. It cooks in the slow cooker. Hope you enjoy it!
Kait says
This is awesome! I followed the recipe as is and done a variety of modifications including throwing in tons of different veggies, turkey instead of beef and using different pastas. Love it and it freezes well too. Have shared with friends and family. Thanks for the great idea!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kait! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Peggy Dalrymple says
This recipe is so good and easy and fairly inexpensive to make. This is such a good site and Ashley is such a great cook!
Thanks,
Peggy D
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Peggy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Mel says
Bland, had to add 2 cups of cheddar cheese to make edible.
The Recipe Rebel says
Sorry to hear you this recipe wasn’t to your taste, Mel. It has worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would of been a hit for you too.
Kayleigh says
Tastes in incredible! My husband and I have a hard time with crockpot meals because they can get greasy quick, but that is not a problem with this one! Super easy to put together and is a crowd pleaser.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kayleigh! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Asia says
Hi! How much is in one serving? Is it one cup?
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry Asia, I did not measure this out in cups.