Comforting Slow Cooker Baked Ziti (Printable)
A cozy pasta dish with tender ziti, rich tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and Italian sausage, all made effortlessly in your slow cooker.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb Italian sausage, mild or spicy, casing removed
→ Pasta
02 - 1 lb dry ziti pasta
→ Dairy
03 - 15 oz ricotta cheese
04 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Vegetables & Sauces
06 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 48 oz marinara sauce (2 jars)
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Seasonings
10 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
13 - Salt and pepper to taste
14 - Fresh basil for garnish
# Method:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
02 - Add Italian sausage to the skillet, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook until thoroughly browned and no longer pink remains. Drain excess fat and set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, dried basil, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Season generously with salt and black pepper, mixing until fully incorporated.
04 - Coat the slow cooker insert thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly across the bottom to prevent sticking.
05 - Arrange half of the uncooked ziti pasta over the sauce base. Distribute half of the browned sausage mixture evenly over the pasta. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture across the sausage layer. Pour approximately 2 cups of marinara sauce over the ricotta.
06 - Repeat the layering process with remaining ingredients: remaining uncooked ziti, remaining sausage, remaining ricotta mixture, and the rest of the marinara sauce. Ensure ingredients are distributed evenly.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top layer, covering the surface completely for a golden, bubbly finish.
08 - Cover and cook on LOW setting for 3 to 4 hours. Pasta is done when tender to the bite and cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges.
09 - Remove the slow cooker insert and allow the baked ziti to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This helps the layers set and makes serving easier. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired.
# Insider Tips:
01 -
- The pasta cooks directly in the sauce, absorbing all those deep tomato flavors while staying perfectly tender
- Layering everything in the slow cooker means zero stovetop-to-oven juggling act
- Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day, if they make it that far
02 -
- Every slow cooker runs different temperatures. Check your pasta at the 3-hour mark—some cookers run hot and can turn pasta to mush faster than others.
- The resting period isn't optional. Without it, you'll have a delicious but soupy mess that slides right off your fork.
03 -
- If your sauce seems too thick, add a splash of pasta water or water before starting the slow cooker. The pasta absorbs liquid as it cooks.
- Spraying your slow cooker with non-stick spray is the difference between easy cleanup and spending 20 minutes scrubbing baked-on cheese. Don't skip this step.