Description
Slow Cooker Baked Ziti is a comforting and hearty pasta dish made easy by cooking it all in a slow cooker. Featuring Italian sausage, savory tomato sauce, herbs, and melted mozzarella, this recipe is perfect for busy days and makes a flavorful, make-ahead meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage (or ground beef or ground turkey)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Tomato Sauce and Seasoning
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ½ cups water
Pasta and Cheese
- 16 ounces uncooked ziti pasta (or penne pasta)
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook the Meat and Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage (or your choice of ground meat) and cook while crumbling for 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped onion and continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Drain any excess grease.
- Prepare Slow Cooker Sauce Base: Transfer the cooked meat mixture to the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and water. Stir everything together. Do not add pasta yet; the mixture will seem watery but the pasta will absorb the liquid as it cooks.
- Slow Cook the Sauce: Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours or on low for about 6 hours, allowing flavors to meld and sauce to thicken slightly.
- Add and Cook the Pasta: Stir in the uncooked pasta, pressing it down into the liquid to ensure it is submerged. Cover and continue cooking on high for 15-25 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes to promote even cooking. Pasta cooking times may vary depending on your slow cooker.
- Finish with Cheese: When the pasta is tender, turn off the slow cooker. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly on top. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Serve: Once the cheese has melted and the baked ziti is hot and bubbly, serve immediately for a satisfying meal.
Notes
- This dish is a convenient make-ahead meal perfect for busy schedules, requiring minimal hands-on time.
- You can substitute ground beef or turkey for the Italian sausage without losing flavor.
- If your slow cooker tends to cook hotter or cooler, adjust pasta cooking times accordingly to avoid under or overcooking.
- For a vegetarian option, skip the meat and add extra vegetables such as mushrooms or zucchini.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 515 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 935 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 54 mg
