The first time I tasted Baked Ziti, I was 16 years old. I was seated next to my Uncle Phil, whom I’d only met once before, but he had a way of making any stranger feel welcome. The long table was buzzing with his Italian sisters laughing at the other end, but I was quiet, trying to figure out what I wanted to order.
I leaned in and asked, “What’s baked ziti?” He seemed a little shocked I’d never had it, but he winked and said, “Just wait…you’re going to love it.”
I’ve been a sucker for baked ziti ever since.
My Uncle, along with my Granny and all her sisters are gone now, but their memories and the food they loved and shared live on.
The past few years, I’ve been making it for my 5 nieces and nephews, and they love it too.
Crockpot Baked Ziti Ingredients
While this crockpot baked ziti is not the authentic bake-in-the-oven recipe that I first tasted at the restaurant that day, it’s every bit as tasty and is one of the easiest dishes to make. You don’t even have to boil the noodles.
Mix in the ricotta, half the grated parmesan, eggs, and basil, then add in the marinara and tomato sauce. Toss in the penne, then top the whole thing off with the remaining shredded parmesan. Turn the crockpot on high, then let time and the ingredients work their magic.
How To Make CrockPot Baked Ziti
Start by spraying the inside of a 6-quart crockpot with olive oil spray. Grate the Parmesan cheese and set aside.
Add the ricotta, half the Parmesan, eggs, and basil to the crockpot and stir well.
Add both jars of pasta sauce (my favorite brand is Rao’s Homemade Marinara) and the tomato sauce to the crockpot then stir to combine.
Toss in the box of penne noodles and stir.
Sprinkle on the remaining parmesan cheese.
Cover with the crockpot lid and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours.
During the last 30 minutes, add the mozzarella cheese to the top and allow to melt.
Once the mozzarella has melted and browned to your liking, you’re ready to dish it up!
Top off the crockpot baked ziti with an extra dusting of parmesan cheese, or if you like a little spice, shake some red pepper flakes on top. Store any leftovers in the fridge to microwave and reheat later.
What You’ll Need
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Crazy Easy Crockpot Baked Ziti (No Boil) Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Crockpot
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This crowd-pleasing no-boil crockpot Baked Ziti recipe is perfect for when you’re short on time but don’t want to sacrifice flavor.
Ingredients
2 (25 -28 ounce) jars of pasta sauce
15 oz tomato sauce
1 pound uncooked penne pasta
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/3 cup freshly chopped basil (or half in dry chopped basil)
2 cups of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 6 qt slow cooker with Olive oil spray. Grate the Parmesan cheese and set aside.
- Combine ricotta, half the Parmesan, the eggs, and basil in the crockpot, and stir well.
- Add both jars of pasta sauce and the tomato sauce and stir in the crockpot.
- Add penne and stir.
- Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top (don’t stir it in).
- Cover the crockpot and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours
- During the last 30 minutes, add the mozzarella cheese to the top and allow to melt.
- Serve and top with additional parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes if you like a little spice.
Nutrition
- Calories: 300 per serving
Tried this recipe? I would love to hear from you! If you have a moment, please leave a star rating and drop me a comment below.
Hungry for more? Be sure to also check out this Best Eggplant Lasagna Recipe: Mediterranean Comfort Food
I just wanted to let you know that I made this once for an event, and now everyone asked for the recipe. So glad I found this!
SO good! Love how easy this is.
Best crockpot meal I’ve tried in a long time.
I loved how simple this was to make. I never knew you didn’t have to boil the noodles before putting them in the crockpot.Will definitely be making it again.
Perfect for busy weeknights or when the whole family is coming over and I’m already stressed. 🙂
This crockpot ziti is now a staple in our house. Love that it’s actually easy to make.