Breaking News! You can make pasta in your slow cooker. This Crock Pot Baked Ziti was made completely in the slow cooker. Cheesy, gooey pasta is a must try in your slow cooker! I know, I know. It’s hard to believe!
You don’t even have to cook the pasta before. I thought that the pasta would turn to mush but they ended up just like regular baked ziti. The best part is that I didn’t have to heat up my kitchen since it was 102 degrees the day I made it! There are actually tons of Italian recipes you can make in your slow cooker, two other easy ones are Creamy Italian Chicken and Bruschetta Chicken, if you aren’t feeling pasta.
Disclaimer- Some links below are Amazon affiliate links, meaning at no extra cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Secret Step for Crock Pot Baked Ziti
The secret is that you don’t add any water to the pasta and the tomato sauce slowly cooks the pasta for you. This recipe is so simple that all you have to do is mix a few ingredients together and then layer them all just like the traditional baked ziti.
Cheese, Cheese, and more Cheese!
The triple cheese blend makes this baked ziti a melty cheesy masterpiece. All of these cheeses add a unique flavor and gives you that real Italian restaurant Baked Ziti experience.
– Ricotta
– Parmesan
– Mozzarella
Types of Pasta
I actually used this gluten free penne pasta instead of ziti! I couldn’t find gluten free ziti at the grocery store. As you can see it doesn’t make a difference at all. You can use any tube pasta you should be good to go.
Ingredients to Make Crock Pot Baked Ziti
- Jarred pasta sauce or homemade pasta sauce
- Uncooked ziti/penne pasta
- Ricotta cheese
- Eggs
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Basil
- Salt and Pepper
Step by Step Directions for Crock Pot Baked Ziti
STEP 1. Spray Slow Cooker with Non Stick Spray
STEP 2. Mix Ricotta Cheese with egg and spices.
STEP 3. Layer sauce on bottom of the Slow Cooker
STEP 4. Layer Noodles
STEP 5. Scoop Five Dollops of Ricotta
STEP 6. Add Layer of Mozzarella
STEP 7. Repeat these layers two times times.
STEP 8. Add one more layer of pasta, sauce, mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (No Noodles on this layer)
STEP 9. Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours
Perfect for Potluck
Crock Pot Baked Ziti makes A LOT of pasta! I love to make this as a main dish to bring to potlucks and everyone always raves about it. This will easily serve 6-8 people with large portions for a family dinner or you can freeze the leftovers and eat it later. We always freeze our leftovers and then eat it the following week!
Food Allergies
Gluten Free – I make everything gluten free in our house because my husband has celiac disease, which is when you are allergic to gluten. Our favorite pasta is the Gluten Free Barillla Pasta line. It doesn’t have the after taste of some pasta’s made with beans. I find that it is the best one at staying together while cooking. Some brands disintegrate especially when using in this kind of recipe where the pasta is soaking in sauce soaking.
If you are not gluten free swap the gluten free pasta for any ziti or penne.
Need A New Crock Pot?
My favorite is this Crock Pot 7 quart Programmable Slow Cooker. First and foremost, I love being able to set the timer in case I’m not home when the food is finished cooking and it just switches to warm. Plus you can lock the lid and just carry it to a party. Not only is it easy to carry but also you will never lose another Tupperware or serving dish again at a potluck party!
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 32 oz ricotta
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan plus more for topping
- 48 oz marina sauce 2 jars (24 oz jars)
- 12 oz gluten free penne
- 16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Spray entire slow cooker insert with non-stick spray.
- In large bowl, mix ricotta with two eggs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper.
- Cover bottom of slow cooker with sauce.
- Layer pasta on top of sauce.
- Take 5 scoops of the ricotta mixture drop onto sauce.
- Top with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat steps 3-5 two more times.
- End with layer of sauce, mozzarella and parmesan.
- Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours.
- Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top.
Nutrition
More Casseroles
Looking for more easy casseroles? Try this easy Mexican Casserole.
Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole
JENNIFER LYDA says
I add chopped zucchini, yellow squash, onions and diced tomatoes in my homemade pasta sauce to this ziti recipe. Can’t wait to try this! YUM!
allisonetreadwell says
I love veggies!!! Let me know how it turns out because that sounds so delicious!
Brittany says
I loved this recipe! So cheesy and tasty 😋
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Brittany!! Thanks so much for the comment!! So happy you liked it. It’s a favorite of mine too!
Jean says
Did you cook the noodles first? Tks
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Jean! You do not cook the noodles first. They get cooked in the red sauce. Hope you enjoy it!
Vickie says
This looks delish! Quick question…. do you cook the pasta first?
Thank you!
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Vickie! Thanks so much! The pasta goes in uncooked and cooks in the red sauce. Hope you enjoy it!
Darcy says
Is there a substitute for ricotta cheese?
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Darcy! I haven’t used it but people tell me they use cottage cheese or cream cheese to substitute the ricotta. Hope you enjoy it!
SaRenna Minano says
I wanted to cook this recipe today. I seen you said some people used cream cheese in substitution of ricotta cheese. Did they by any chance tell him how much cream cheese they used? Thank you!
allisonetreadwell says
Hi SaRenna! I haven’t made it myself with cream cheese but I would guess that 8 oz would be a good subsitution.
Megan says
Can you tell me what the cool time would be on low as opposed to high?
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Megan! I have never done it on low. I get worried that the pasta might become too soggy. However, I have had people tell me they cooked it for 5 hours on low and it turned out great. I might have to try it just to find out…
Cori says
Has anyone ever added ground beef to this recipe?
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Cori! I have absolutely used added ground beef. I just brown the meat and then drain the fat. Then I add the ground beef to the red sauce and layer.
Betsy Markman says
Please clarify: 2 jars of 48 oz each, for a total of 96 oz of spaghetti sauce?
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Betsy! Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I will try to make it more clear in the instructions. It should be (2) 24 oz jars of sauce so a total of 48 oz. 96 oz would be too much sauce! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Help Me says
You completely glazed over the pasta sauce in your directions. Picture shows red sauce but you only instruct to mix together eggs, ricotta, parmesan, basil, salt and pepper. So how much of the pasta sauce do we use in that mix??
Please fix this in your instructions. Very confusing.
allisonetreadwell says
HI! I will have to go through and remake the recipe so I can give better directions on the sauce portion. I totally see what you mean. I did the sauce layers separate so I would say that I used 3/4 cup to 1 cup of sauce for each layer and 1/2 cup of sauce for the bottom of the crockpot. The most important part is to make sure the noodles are covered with the sauce at the end. This will help them all cook evenly. Thanks for your feedback and hopefully that answers your question.
Chandler says
My crockpot doesn’t have 2 ½. Hours. Can I cook it for 4?
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Chandler! I have never cooked it for 4 hours. I think the noodles might get a little soft.
Amy says
Hi! Do I hav3 to use gluten free noodles or will regular pasta soften likewise? Thanks! It looks delicious!
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Amy! You can use any noodles and they will cook the same. Hope you enjoy it!!
Pat says
Can I use one jar of pasta sauce and one 15 oz can of beef broth so that it has less of a tomato taste?
allisonetreadwell says
Hi Pat! I’m worried that that much beef broth might be too much and make the noodles mushy. I would start with half a can of beef broth and one can of tomato.
DeAnn says
What happens if you mix all the ingredients together as opposed to layering?
allisonetreadwell says
Hi DeAnn! I think it would be fine but I haven’t done that before. The most important part is making sure the noodles are fully covered in the sauce so just make sure to set aside some to cover the top.
TK says
I just used my last 2 eggs earlier, can we make this without the egg?
allisonetreadwell says
HI TK! Yes, people have made it without eggs and it is still delicious. Hope you enjoy it!
Li says
It’s not clear if noodles get cooked first? And how much jarred sauce?
Thanks
Connie Darby says
Hi,
Can I had cooked Italian sausage to the recipe? I just don’t want it to be greasy.
It looks delicious.
Thanks
Connie Darby
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Connie- You can absolutely put Italian sausage in it! I have done it before and it was delicious. I used ground Italian sausage so I did brown it and drain the fat before I mixed it in with the sauce. Hope you enjoy it!
Holly Thomasson says
I cannot wait to try this! I am also gluten intolerant and I agree with you on the Barilla pasta! No one can tell the difference! Thank you for sharing this! We love crockpot lasagna, but finding gluten-free lasagna noodles that are edible is a challenge!
Allison Treadwell says
So happy you found it! We love this and it makes a ton so we freeze the leftover and the gluten free pasta even reheats well. Barilla gluten free lasagna noodles are what I use in my Crock Pot lasagna and it’s delicious!
Brittany says
Can this be cooked longer on low?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Brittany- I have not cooked it on low but other people have told me it turned out great still on low. Just make sure to cover all the noodles in the red sauce so they cook evenly! Let me know if you try it and how it turns out.
Chridtinr says
Do I have to use gluten-free pasta?
Allison Treadwell says
Nope! You can use any pasta. Just make sure not to cook it before 🙂
Vivien says
Hello! This might sound dumb, but the recipe says 48 oz marinara/2 jars… is that two 48oz jars or two 24oz jars 🤔 is the pasta put in uncooked or cooked? 🤔☺️ TIA
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Vivien! That is not dumb at all. It is actually 2 (24oz) jars of the marinara to make a total of 48oz. I will try to make that clear in the directions. It is uncooked pasta and makes sure to get sauce over all the noodles so they cook the same. Let me know what you think!
Chloe says
Yup don’t recommend not cooking the noodles. 3.5 hours in and my noodles still aren’t cooked all the way on high.
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Chole! I’m so sorry to hear the noodles didn’t cook all the way. The only issue I have run into is if you don’t use enough sauce to cover them because they cook unevenly. Hopefully, it ended up still being delicious…
Angela says
Hi, can I use the casserole crock pot to make this?
Allison Treadwell says
Absolutely! The most important thing is to make sure all the noodles are covered in the sauce so as long as you do that it should work just fine!
Emily Zipprich says
Do I cook the noodles first or put in raw?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Emily! The noodles are raw and you just want to make sure to cover all of them completely in the red sauce. Hope you enjoy!
Kathy says
Can I add ground beef. If so, how much?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Kathy! Yes, you can! I usually add 1 pound of 80/20 ground beef. I brown it and drain the fat. After that I mix it in with the red sauce and layer as usual. Hope you enjoy it!
Joyce Hickey says
Can u use different pasta?
Kensie says
Hey! So I made this, and the most of the noodles weren’t cooked at all. Can I cook them a little before, other than that, it tasted good, the noodles just weren’t cooked.
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Kensie, I’m so sorry to hear that. You could try and par boil them for about 4-5 minutes. You just don’t want them to get mushy with the red sauce. Also, it’s really important to use enough sauce if you don’t cook them before adding them to the crockpot. I always make sure that every noodle is covered in sauce but it sounds like that wasn’t your issue since not of them cooked. Again, so sorry it didn’t turn out well.
Jenny says
Can you double the recipe?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Jenny! I have not doubled the recipe before but if you have a big enough crockpot it should work! Make sure all the noodles are fully covered in red sauce so they cook!
Sue says
Is it 2 jars of 24 oz each or 2 jars for a total of 24 oz? And do you have to use gluten free pasta?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Sue, It is 2 jars of 24oz pasta sauce so a total of 48oz of pasta sauce. I can’t figure out how to write that without confusing people. It needs lots of sauce because that is what cooks the pasta. Regular pasta works great too.
Shae says
If I cut the recipe in half does the time also get cut in half?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Shae, I don’t think I would cut it in half. I would check at an hour and a half to see if the noodles are soft.
Mandi says
Can I use spaghetti sauce, or does it have to be marinara?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Mandi! Any tomato based spaghetti sauce will work! Hope you enjoy it!
Mary Beth says
Have you ever doubled this recipe? I’m looking to make it for a crowd. How do I know if my crock pot is big enough?
Sarah Kellogg says
If I’m leaving the crook pit all day on warm should I just cook the pasta for 4 to 5 mins and stick it in the crook pot? I don’t want to over cook the pasta.
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Sarah! This is a tough recipe to leave on warm all day. I’m not sure I would recommend that for pasta since it might become too soft. You could probably do low for 4-5 hours and just make sure to cover all the pasta very well with red sauce since that is what cooks it. I think cooking it ahead of time will make it even more overcooked.
Angela says
The flavor was okay, but almost none of the noodles were cooked. Next time I’ll cook them first. I’m not sure how this worked for anyone
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Angela, I’m so sorry to hear this! The biggest problem is if you don’t use enough red sauce and cover the noodles since that liquid is what actually cooks them noodles. However, I think if you want to parboil the noodles ahead of time that should work as well. Again, sorry for the uncooked noodles. I always hate to hear that.
Kascia says
Hi, I’m currently making this. Do I stir it as it cooks? Or just let it be. And when it’s done do you stir it up all together or just serve it??
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Kascia! I’m so sorry I didn’t see this. You do not usually stir it when it cooking. Let me know how it turned out!!
Gina Williams says
Do you have to use gluten free pasta?? Thanks, Gina
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Gina! Any pasta will work! It doesn’t need to be gluten free.
Janelle says
Hi Gina,
Can I substitute a different cheese for the ricotta?
Amanda says
This looks so good but I was wondering if you could cook it on low. And if so how long?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Amanda! I haven’t cooked it low before because I worry the noddles will get too soft. However, people have told me they have cooked it on low and it still turned out great. I would say 4 hours on low and check to see if the noodles are soft.
Kristin says
Hi! Do I cook the noodles first or so they cook in the crockpot pot? Thanks.
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Kristin, You do not cook the noodles first. You just cover them completely in the red sauce and the liquid from the sauce cooks the noodles. Hope you enjoy it!
Jennifer Davis says
If I wanted to half the recipe how long would you recommend it cook?
Allison Treadwell says
HI Jennifer- I think it would still need to cook for 2 hours. The red sauce cooks the noodles so just make sure to cover them completely with sauce.
K says
Hi, I know it says how many servings but what amount is a serving. 1 cup, 1/2 c. Please let me know thanks!
Janelle says
Hi Allison,
Can I substitute a different cheese for the ricotta?
Allison Treadwell says
HI Janelle! Yes, people substitute the ricotta with cream cheese or cottage cheese typically. Hope you enjoy it!
Brianna says
Do you need to have the egg in this? Any substitutes? I have a son with an egg allergy so look for an alternative to try this.
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Brianna, You can easily skip the egg. It just adds flavor. It will still be good without it. Just make sure to cover all the noodles in red sauce so they cook evenly. Hope you enjoy it!!
Rebekah Callant says
I made this tonight and it was great BUT I did have to cook mine for MUCH longer. At 2 1/2 hours I was eating raw pasta in most spots… I ended up cooking mine for 2 1/2 more hours and it was great. I am at high altitude, so not sure if that had anything to do with it. Otherwise it was great!!!
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Rebekah- I’m so sorry to hear the cook time wasn’t correct for you. Unfortunately, so many crockpots have cook times that are different since their temperatures vary. Mine does run a little hot. I’m happy you had time and it turned out delicious. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Zoe says
Can you add ground beef to this recipe?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Zoe! Absolutely! If you just brown the meat and drain the grease first. Then add it to the red sauce and follow the instructions the same. Hope you enjoy it!
Kevin says
I highly recommend not using this recipe. You can cut the ricotta amount in half and it will be plenty. Thankfully I cooked some Italian sausage and served it on the side as that was the only flavor you got beside ricotta.
Stacy Volin says
I have made that type of pasta recipe and also made the lasagna recipe though I par boil my lasagna noodles to get the starchy taste out of them. Both delicious. I’m on a tear right now to lose more weight so using sliced zucchini and eggplant planks instead of pasta to mimic those pastas for now and using a no sugar added sauce like Raos, Prego or Ragu’s. Still will be decadent when finished. I also use a liner for easy clean up. Worth the investment.
H says
Am I supposed to boil the pasta? Or put it in uncooked?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi! You do not boil the pasta first. You will cover it in the red sauce and the liquid from the red sauce will cook it. Just makes sure to really cover all the pasta. Hope you enjoy it!
Susan Gibbons says
Can you use regular pasta instead of gluten free?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Susan! Yes, regular pasta works great too. Just make sure to cover all the pasta with the red sauce to make sure it cooks evenly. Enjoy!
Lauren says
Can you use meat in it ?
Allison Treadwell says
Yes! I usually brown the meat first and drain the fat. Then I mix it in with the red sauce. I have also used sliced sausage!
Jessica Gesink says
How many pounds with that amount of sauce??? Do you add more sauce
Allison Treadwell says
I usually do 1 pound and don’t add more sauce. Just make sure the sauce completely covers the noodles so they all cook evenly.
Jessica Gesink says
Would I be able to use some ground hamburger for this recipe for some protein??? Would I need to add more sauce??
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Jessica! Absolutely, I just brown the meat and drain the fat. After that I mix it in with the sauce and layer it.
Veronica says
This by far is the worst recipe ever. 1 the amount of ricotta & cheese in this… you can’t even taste the sauce. 2. Idk why I thought a crockpot would be better, it takes much less time and cooks better just boiling water and tossing in sauce and cheese. The point of a crockpot recipe is it can go all day and be ready for dinner. But it only takes 2.5 hours to cook anyways, might as well have just made it in my Dutch oven one pot recipe easy. DID I MENTION THE CHEESE?! Like wow. I love cheese but that was gross, the pasta cooked unevenly because there’s literally no liquid to the sauce. Unless your sauce is really watery I don’t see how your pasta would cook evenly
Devon says
Can I cook on low for more time?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Devon! I haven’t tried it but other people have said they have cooked it for 6 hours and it still turned out great. I would just make sure to have enough sauce so it doesn’t get dried out.
Christine says
This looks very good please send me the website thank you
gina says
what if i forgot the eggs? so i put them in and mix it all up?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Gina, Hope it turned out great. If I left out the eggs in the beginning I would probably just leave them out since it helps to bind the cheese.
Sa says
Marina sauce??
Fran says
Question: Can I put it all together the night before and “cook” it the next morning? Looks like a wonderful potluck dish!
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Fran! I don’t think the pasta will hold up overnight. It will get too mushy. I’m sorry 🙁
Julie says
Can I use cottage cheese in place of ricotta cheese?
Thank you
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Julia- Yes cottage cheese is a great substitute. You might want to use a little less than the recipe calls for when you swap it thoug.
Joan says
Do you cook the pasta first or does it go in the crockpot uncooked?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Joan, The pasta is uncooked. You pour the red sauce over the noodles and the liquid in the sauce cooks the noodles. Hope you enjoy it!
Jill Petros says
Made for my sons birthday party, was a huge hit! Excellent recipe!!
Allison Treadwell says
Yay!!!! So happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Linn Palmer says
Hello! Could I do this in my instant pot? If so how would you recommend doing it? Thank you!
Erin says
3 starts because it tasted good. But noodles were still very much hard after 2.5 hours
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Erin, So sorry to hear that the timing was off for you. Unfortunately, each crockpot cooks differently so sometimes that happens. So happy it tasted when it was finally cooked.
Kerri says
I’ve been looking for a baked ziti recipe for the crockpot! I recommend updating the ingredients from penne to ziti, though. 😉
Carolyn says
Can I double the recipe for crockpot ziti? How long should I bake it?
Amber says
Maybe I’m working with a different size crock pot or maybe I just don’t know how to layer lol but I didn’t have enough ingredients to make as many layers as the recipe called for. However it didn’t matter – I layered it according to what I had and it was absolutely delicious! Will be making it again!
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Amber, Yes it can be different based on the crockpot size but I’m so happy it turned out great!! Thanks for letting me know!
Megan says
Can I add cubes chicken pieces in this?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Megan, I have not used cubed chicken. I have used sliced sausage and browned ground beef. My only concern would be that the chicken would not have long enough to cook since it only cooks for 2 hours.
Kayla says
I forgot to add egg hopefully turns out good
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Kayla! I hope it turned out delicious. I think it would be fine without the egg.
Kaci says
Can you cook this on low?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Kaci, I haven’t cooked it on low but other have and said it was still delicious.
Angie McLaren says
What size crockpot do you use?
Allison Treadwell says
I use a 7 qt usually!
Katie says
Has anyone added meat to this? Ground beef or sausage?
Shea says
I added ground beef and it came out great!
Allison Treadwell says
Yay!! So happy you liked it!
Suzanne says
Do you cook the pasta first or put it in raw?
Allison Treadwell says
The pasta goes in raw! Enjoy!
Becca says
Are the noodles cooked beforehand?
Allison Treadwell says
They are uncooked.
Anna says
Can you p,ease say what size crock pot you use when posting a recipe? Thanks
Allison Treadwell says
I use a 6 qt typically.
Tess says
Can you do it without eggs?
Allison Treadwell says
HI Tess,
Yes you can omit the eggs. Hope you enjoy it!
Andrea says
Made it- cooked on Low for 4 hrs and then switched it to Keep Warm for another 4. Next time I need to use a bit less noodles- and possibly a) more sauce or b) add a bit of water to sauce. The original recipe came out a bit dry and we like our pasta saucier.
Allison Treadwell says
Thanks for the feedback Andrea! Everyone always asks if it can cook on low so this is great news!
Sierra says
It was so good although I freshly grated my mozzarella which might have had a play in it being so cheesy which we love in our household I browned ground beef and added to it, my husband said the only thing I could have done differently was a little less sauce
Dora Lomme says
If I use a pound and a half of pasta, do you think I would just increase everything else by 50%? Do you think I would need more time
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Dora! I would probably recommend adding at least a half hour. I usually check with a toothpick once the cooking time is done to make sure it goes through the noodles easily. Also, make sure to add maybe 75% more sauce and 50% of everything else. The key is that all the noodles are covered in sauce so they cook in the sauce. Hope it works great!
Dora Lomme says
Thank you!
Amy Dendy says
What size crock pot do you use?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Amy! I use a 6 qt crockpot. Make sure to cover the noodles completely with the red sauce so they cook even. Enjoy!
Julie says
Can this be assembled and refrigerated ahead of time (ie night before)?
Allison Treadwell says
The noodles might soak in the red sauce too long and turn to mush. I’m not sure I would recommend it…
Julie says
Very good point. Thank you!
Kelly says
Can you cook this on low for 5 hours ?
Brooke says
Can you add burger to this for protein?
Allison Treadwell says
Absolutely! We add ground beef all the time and sausage. Just brown and drain the fat then stir it in with the red sauce.
Andra says
Do you cook pasta 1st before adding to crock pot?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Andra! You do not cook the pasta before. The red sauce will cook the pasta.
Monica Jenniges says
We made this and it was good! We didn’t completely cover pasta with red sauce on top layer make sure you do that otherwise some noodles will be hard! Overall good! LOADED with cheese!
Amanda says
Do you have to use gluten free pasta for this to turn out? Could I use regular ziti or penne?
Allison Treadwell says
You can use regular pasta! We just use gluten free. It has the same cooking time. Enjoy!
nikki says
hii, i was just wondering if i halved this recipe would it need less time?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Nikki, I would say that it would need less time but not sure on half. I would reduce by a half hour and then check to see if the noodles are soft. Also, make sure to completely cover the noodles in sauce so that it cooks the noodles.
Amberly says
Is there no hamburger meat in this recipe?
Allison Treadwell says
There isn’t any put you can add ground beef. Just brown and drain the beef and then mix it in with the red sauce.
Whitney says
If I cooked a half batch in a 3qt crockpot would your recommend an adjustment to the cook time?
Allison Treadwell says
Hi Whitney, I would reduce by a half hour. Also, make sure to cover the noodles in sauce. This is what cooks them so they need to be completely covered. More sauce is better than less.
Lindsay says
Could I add frozen meatballs?
Matt Fay says
Hi Lindsay – you can! I think I’d add those in at Step 5. This way you have them deep in the crock pot, and covered with other ingredients. This will ensure that they get fully cooked and come out nice and hot!
Joslyn says
We made this once, loved it but texture ended up being a little off with the Parmesan. Trying a different brand this time. Question-do you stir at all during the 2.5 hours or not until finished?
Matt Fay says
Hi Joslyn – I don’t stir at all. Mainly because I like to keep the cheese as a top layer when serving.
Nikki says
How long would this cook for on low? Daughter needing something she can start at lunch and have ready for a super late dinner time. She is gluten free so needing to not have yucky mushy pasta.
Matt Fay says
Hey Nikki – Sounds like you’re talking about needing it to cook for 7 hours or so. In this case, I think that would be too long for the pasta.
Doug says
Could you make this with hamburger in sauce.
Matt Fay says
Hi Doug. Absolutely! You can add hamburger, sausage, or other proteins. Suggest browning the meat on the stove first for best flavor and texture, otherwise it’ll get all clumpy. I would suggest adding it as a layer between the first layer of sauce and the pasta. But you can customize it any way you’d like.