Crock Pot Baked Ziti

This Crock Pot Baked Ziti recipe is loaded with oozing, bubbling cheese, tender noodles, and a hearty tomato sauce for the ultimate comfort food. It's an easy, one-pot slow cooker recipe that makes a big batch, perfect for feeding a hungry crowd. Kid-approved and vegetarian-friendly, this Italian-style dinner is a go-to for potlucks, holiday gatherings, and busy weeknights!

This crock pot baked ziti recipe is a total game-changer, and it'll make you forget the baked version you used to make.

Just like our Cheesy Eggplant Casserole, Lazy Lasagna, and Crock Pot Lasagna Soup, this meal is savory, cheesy, and packed with flavor. Thanks to slow cooking, everything melds together beautifully, resulting in an incredibly easy recipe with minimal effort. The noodles (okay, you caught me... I often use penne or rotini!) turn out perfectly tender, swimming in oozing cheese and robust Italian flavor. I'm salivating just thinking about it!

This is dump-and-go cooking at its finest. All the ingredients, including the dry noodles, go straight into the crock pot from the start. There's no meat in this recipe, which means no extra steps and no saucepan to clean. Just set it and forget it until it's ready to serve.

It truly doesn't get much easier-- or cheesier. And since this crock pot ziti recipe makes a big batch, it's perfect for potlucks, holidays, or anytime you're craving cozy, bubbling cheese and noodle comfort.

🥘Ingredients Needed For Crock Pot Baked Ziti

• petite diced tomatoes + juice- I prefer petite because they're easier to eat; they also blend in better with the sauce
• pizza sauce, pasta sauce, or marinara sauce- choose your favorite for the savory base of this recipe
• tomato sauce- thickens the sauce and provides deep tomato flavor
• uncooked ziti, rotini, or penne- the noodles are added dry and absorb the sauce as they bake; no need to add water
• ricotta cheese- for a more authentic baked ziti taste and texture; I use part-skim
• eggs- bind the ricotta and seasonings together
• Italian seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper- seasonings for the ricotta cheese mixture
• fresh mozzarella- layered throughout for the ultimate creamy texture and maximum cheese pull
• shredded mozzarella cheese & grated parmesan- I use full fat for maximum gooiness; choose to grate the parmesan for better flavor and meltability or buy refrigerated freshly grated to save time

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪How To Make Crock Pot Baked Ziti

1. Step 1: Place some of the sauce mixture in bottom of well greased crockpot; add ⅓ uncooked ziti.

2. Step 2: Top with half of the ricotta mixture, ⅓ fresh mozzarella, and ⅓ of the shredded cheese mixture.

3. Step 3: Repeat layers of sauce, noodles, and cheeses in same order and quantities.

4. Step 4: For the final layer, place the remaining ziti on first, followed by the remaining sauce and the remaining cheeses. Cover and cook on low for 2.5-3 hours.

Hint: Make sure all the noodles in the top layer are covered by the sauce and cheese so they don't dry out while slow cooking.

🌿Healthy Ingredient Substitutions

• Whole Wheat or Chickpea Penne: Swapping regular penne for a whole wheat or chickpea-based pasta adds extra fiber and protein without changing the texture much.
• Part-Skim Mozzarella and Ricotta: Using part-skim versions of mozzarella and ricotta keeps that classic cheesy texture with less saturated fat and fewer calories.
• Low-Sodium Marinara Sauce: Choosing a low-sodium marinara helps cut back on excess salt while still delivering that rich, hearty tomato flavor.

📖Crock Pot Baked Ziti Recipe Variations

• Spicy: Use spicy pizza sauce and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
• With meat: Cook 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey; drain; mix it in with the sauce to form a ragu (reserve 2 cups of sauce without meat for the top layer).
• With veggies: Add sliced canned mushrooms and/or finely chopped bell pepper to the sauce (reserve 2 cups of sauce without veggies for the top layer).

See Beef Ragu Italiano and Easy Baked TikTok Feta Pasta for Italian comfort dishes that bake in the oven.

🍽Equipment Needed

• 6 quart slow cooker/crockpot (well greased or lined)
• measuring cups & measuring spoons
• one small, one medium, & one large mixing bowl
• cheese grater

🍶Storing Your Baked Ziti

Store Crock Pot Baked Ziti in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

The ziti can also be frozen for up to 3 months in freezer safe packaging; defrost overnight in the fridge.

To reheat leftovers, break up large clumps, add a little extra sauce if desired, cover and bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Leftover ziti also makes a great side to our Healthy Chicken Parmesan.

🗨️Crock Pot Baked Ziti FAQ

🥄More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these, or head over to our Slow Cooker recipes page:

🍴What To Serve With Crock Pot Baked Ziti

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Crock Pot Baked Ziti:

📋Recipe With Step-By-Step Instructions

Crock Pot Baked Ziti

Kitchen Ready Betty

This crock pot baked ziti recipe is a total gamechanger and will have you forget all about the baked version you used to make.

With oozing, bubbling cheese, tender noodles, and a hearty tomato sauce blend, this comforting one pot meal is kid approved and makes a lot, making it perfect for potlucks and holidays.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Resting Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Main Dishes, Slow Cooker

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 10

Calories 487 kcal

Equipment

• 6 quart slow cooker/crockpot (well greased or lined)
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• small mixing bowl
• medium mixing bowl
• large mixing bowl
• cheese grater

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 14.5 oz (1 can) petite diced tomatoes + juice
• 5.5 cups pizza, pasta, or marinara sauce (about 60 oz sauce)
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 16 oz (1 lb.) uncooked ziti, penne, or rotini
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 12 oz fresh mozzarella slices
• 1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan

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Instructions

 

• Mix the tomatoes and their juice, the pizza/pasta sauce, and tomato sauce together in a large mixing bowl. Then add 2.75 cups of this mixture to the bottom of a well greased crockpot.
• Add ⅓ of the dry noodles (5.33 oz) on top of the sauce in the crockpot.
• Mix the ricotta, eggs, and all seasonings in a medium mixing bowl. Place ½ of this mixture on top of the uncooked noodles.
• Arrange 4 oz. mozzarella slices on top of ricotta mixture. Combine shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan; sprinkle ⅓ of this mixture on top of the mozzarella slices.
• Repeat the layers by adding 2.75 more cups of the sauce, followed by ⅓ of the noodles (5.33 oz), the remaining half of the ricotta mixture, 4 oz mozzarella slices, and ⅓ of the shredded mozzarella/parmesan mixture.
• For the third and final layer, add the remaining noodles first, then the remaining sauce, and top with the remaining mozzarella slices, followed by the final ⅓ of the shredded mozzarella/parmesan mixture.
• Cover and cook on low for 2.5-3 hours. Keep warm until ready to serve. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe is best cooked on low to avoid over-drying. Slow cookers vary, so check after 2 ½ hours to see if it's done.

Make sure all the noodles in the top layer are covered by the sauce and cheese so they don't dry out while slow cooking.

Don't skimp on the sauce! Follow the recipe instructions and make sure you have adequate levels of sauce for this recipe. Too much causes the meal to be sloppy and soupy; too little can be drying and the noodles won't cook properly.

Store Crock Pot Baked Ziti in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. The ziti can also be frozen for up to 3 months in freezer safe packaging; defrost overnight in the fridge.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 28gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1391mgPotassium: 857mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1510IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 492mgIron: 4mg

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_{Please note that nutritional information is provided by a third party service and is intended for guidance purposes only. KitchenReadyBetty.com makes no claims to its accuracy.}