• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • instagram
  • youtube
Crock Pots and Flip Flops

Crock Pots and Flip Flops

Easy Slow Cooker Meals and Family Fun

  • All Recipes
  • Course
    • Dinner
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Appetizer
  • Protein
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Pork
    • Turkey
    • Vegetarian
  • Cuisine
    • Asian
    • Italian
    • Mexican
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • All Recipes
  • Course
    • Dinner
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Appetizer
  • Protein
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Pork
    • Turkey
    • Vegetarian
  • Cuisine
    • Asian
    • Italian
    • Mexican
Home | Recipes | Easy Crock Pot Baked Ziti

Easy Crock Pot Baked Ziti

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
2 hours 50 minutes

Written by Allison Treadwell on May 1, 2020
This post may contain affiliate links. See Privacy Policy for details.

Make this easy classic comfort food in your Crock Pot! Cheesy, Gooey and Delicious in every bite.

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

Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

STEP 4. Layer Noodles

Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Pasta Layer

STEP 5. Scoop Five Dollops of Ricotta

Ricotta Layer

STEP 6. Add Layer of Mozzarella

Mozzarella Layer

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)

Last Layer

STEP 9. Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours

Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Finished Crock Pot Baked Ziti

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

Author: Allison Treadwell
Make this easy classic comfort food in your Crock Pot! Cheesy, Gooey and Delicious in every bite.
PRINT PIN
3.86 from 264 votes
Course : Dinner
Cuisine : Italian
Servings : 8 servings
Calories : 586
Total Time : 2 hrs 50 mins
Prep Time : 20 mins
Cook Time : 2 hrs 30 mins

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
  • 12 oz gluten free penne
  • 16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
US Customary – Metric

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

Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 1722mg | Potassium: 747mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1720IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 585mg | Iron: 3mg

More Casseroles

Looking for more easy casseroles? Try this easy Mexican Casserole.

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole

Looking for a list of Essential Kitchen Tools for Crockpot Meals?

Here’s all my favorite kitchen tools!

Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten Free, Italian, Most Popular, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: Baked Ziti, Crock pot, crock pot baked ziti, easy dinner, family dinner, Gluten Free, italian food, slow cooker, vegetarian

CATEGORIES:

  • Dinner
  • Gluten Free
  • Italian
  • Most Popular
  • Recipes
  • Vegetarian
Best Board Games for Kids < PREVIOUS
best board games for kids
creamy tuscan chicken
Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken NEXT >

more recipes

Viral-Tik-Tok-Baked-Feta-Pasta-Crock-PotViral Tik Tok Baked Feta Pasta Crock Pot Version Fiesta Crack ChickenFiesta Crack Chicken Crock Pot Brown Sugar Carrots Parmesan Garlic ChickenCrock Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Slow Cooker Shepherd’s PieSlow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie creamy tuscan chickenCreamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken

leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Amy says

    January 3, 2022 at 5:04 pm

    Hi! Do I hav3 to use gluten free noodles or will regular pasta soften likewise? Thanks! It looks delicious!

    Reply
    • allisonetreadwell says

      January 4, 2022 at 10:46 am

      Hi Amy! You can use any noodles and they will cook the same. Hope you enjoy it!!

      Reply
  2. Pat says

    January 8, 2022 at 9:08 am

    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?

    Reply
    • allisonetreadwell says

      January 12, 2022 at 8:34 am

      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.

      Reply
  3. DeAnn says

    February 2, 2022 at 2:21 pm

    What happens if you mix all the ingredients together as opposed to layering?

    Reply
    • allisonetreadwell says

      February 4, 2022 at 2:25 pm

      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.

      Reply
  4. TK says

    February 15, 2022 at 12:19 pm

    I just used my last 2 eggs earlier, can we make this without the egg?

    Reply
    • allisonetreadwell says

      February 15, 2022 at 6:30 pm

      HI TK! Yes, people have made it without eggs and it is still delicious. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  5. Li says

    February 19, 2022 at 4:24 pm

    It’s not clear if noodles get cooked first? And how much jarred sauce?
    Thanks

    Reply
  6. Connie Darby says

    March 17, 2022 at 9:48 am

    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

    Reply
    • Allison Treadwell says

      March 18, 2022 at 8:56 am

      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!

      Reply
  7. Holly Thomasson says

    April 11, 2022 at 10:43 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Allison Treadwell says

      April 11, 2022 at 5:18 pm

      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!

      Reply
  8. Brittany says

    May 10, 2022 at 9:50 am

    Can this be cooked longer on low?

    Reply
    • Allison Treadwell says

      May 11, 2022 at 8:53 am

      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.

      Reply
  9. Chridtinr says

    May 16, 2022 at 9:00 am

    Do I have to use gluten-free pasta?

    Reply
    • Allison Treadwell says

      May 16, 2022 at 1:11 pm

      Nope! You can use any pasta. Just make sure not to cook it before 🙂

      Reply
  10. Vivien says

    May 20, 2022 at 7:13 am

    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

    Reply
    • Allison Treadwell says

      May 24, 2022 at 8:48 am

      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!

      Reply
« Older Comments

your favorite comforting crock pot recipes, always made

About
All Recipes
Get Started


Get the recipes and shopping list now.

never miss a recipe

Want more yummy Crock Pot recipes? Join my Crock Pot Club email list to receive easy recipes that will help get dinner on the table fast!

  • All Recipes
  • Beef
  • Sides
  • Chicken

back to top ^
copyright © 2022 crock pots and flip flops | privacy policy
site credits