Enjoy the flavors of classic baked ziti with this hands-off recipe for Slow Cooker Pasta!
It is no secret that I love pasta recipes. From Homemade Lasagna to Stuffed Shells to White Bean Pasta, I love pasta in all shapes, sizes, and forms.
One of my all-time favorite cozy pasta dinners is Baked Rotini, which has inspired this recipe for Crockpot Pasta. And while it may sound sacrilegious to make pasta in a slow cooker, just like my recipes for Instant Pot Ziti and Instant Pot Spaghetti proves you can make pasta in the Instant Pot, you can also make perfectly cooked pasta in the crockpot!
Reasons to Love Crockpot Pasta
- Dinner Without the Hassle. This Crockpot Ziti recipe is the perfect hands-off meal for a busy day. It is as easy as dump and cook.
- Amazing Flavor. Made with a rich and flavorful homemade spaghetti sauce, tons of cheese, and noodles.
- Perfect Results. The spaghetti sauce simmers to develop a rich, deep sauce and then pasta and cheese are added and cooked to perfection right in the sauce. The pasta is fork-tender, the pasta is cheesy, and the the meal comes together with minimal effort.
- Family-Favorite Meal. Everyone loves this simple, cheesy pasta recipe, especially when paired with Homemade Garlic Toast.
Key Ingredients
- Spaghetti Sauce: Instead of using jarred spaghetti sauce, I start this crockpot pasta recipe off with homemade spaghetti sauce. It is a super easy recipe that is insanely delicious and is made with crushed tomatoes, olive oil, honey, water, and seasonings.
- Pasta: The shape and size of pasta matter for this recipe. I have tried this Crockpot Pasta with ziti, rotini, rigatoni, and elbow noodles with success. Spaghetti, linguine, and bow-tie noodles are not recommended for slow-cooker pasta. Whole wheat or regular noodles work equally well.
- Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese adds the perfect creaminess and texture to the pasta dish, but you can use ricotta instead.
- Cheese: Shredded mozzarella and parmesan Cheese add the perfect cheesy touch.
recipe modifications
- Use Jarred Spaghetti Sauce: In place of the homemade tomato sauce, use 28 ounces of your favorite jarred sauce, along with an additional 1 cup of water. Cook on low heat for 1 hour before adding the pasta, cottage cheese, and cheese.
- Add Meat. If you would like, add up to 1 pound of cooked and crumbled ground beef, Italian sausage, or ground turkey to the slow cooker when you add the pasta.
- Omit the Dairy. For a dairy-free version of crockpot pasta, simply omit cottage cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan from the recipe.
- No Gluten-Free Option: Unfortunately, I don't recommend using gluten-free noodles for this recipe for slow cooker pasta. The gluten-free noodles release too much starch as they cook, giving the sauce a weird flavor.
How to Make Crockpot Pasta
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One: Prepare Homemade Sauce. To prepare the homemade spaghetti sauce, add the crushed tomatoes, water, oil, honey, and seasonings to the slow cooker insert and mix until combined. We want to cook this mixture on low heat for several hours, allowing the sauce to develop its flavor and the tomatoes to mellow out. If you are using jarred sauce, simply dump the jar of sauce along with 1 cup of water into the slow cooker and cook for 1 hour on low heat.
Step Two: Add Pasta. Once the sauce has been given time to heat, add in the pasta, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese, along with a bit more water. Turn the heat to high and cook until the noodles are tender.
Serving Suggestions
Crockpot Pasta can be served as a hearty entree all on its own. However, I like to round out dinner with a salad, such as a Tossed Greek Salad or Caesar Salad, for a complete family meal that is satisfying, comforting, and super easy to prepare.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Allow the pasta to cool slightly, transfer it to an airtight container, and store the pasta in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Reheat individual servings in a heat-safe bowl, covered with a damp paper towel, in 60-second intervals until warmed through.
More Easy Cozy Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Casserole
- Pasta Bolognese
- Easy Taco Pasta
- Pasta Puttanesca
- Easy Baked Ravioli
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
If you tried this recipe for Slow Cooker "Baked" Ziti I would love for you to leave a comment and review below if you give this recipe a try.
Crockpot "Baked" Ziti - Easy Slow Cooker Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 3 cups water divided
- 1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 16 ounces rotini or ziti noodles
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Combine crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 cups of water, oil, honey, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in the base of a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
- After 4-5 hours, remove the lid and add the remaining 1 cup of water, noodles, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.
- Cover, turn the slow cooker to high, and cook for about 45 minutes for whole grain pasta and 25 minutes for white pasta, or until pasta is tender, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Once the pasta is tender, finish with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2015 but was updated in 2020 with new pictures and a video.
Nicole
I want to try this , it’s summer and hot in az. I don’t want to turn on oven😩 is this recipe ok to follow minus the rocatta cheese , I don’t have any ...
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Nicole, yes you can make this without the cottage cheese without any issues. Enjoy and stay cool!
Amy
This looks great and easy! If I want it extra saucy, can I use a larger jar of sauce (like 35 oz) instead of a 24 oz jar, but keep the rest of the recipe the same? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Yes! Enjoy!
Toni
I really loved how tasty and delicious this is!! So yummy!
Lily
I would have never added cottage cheese but I decided to give it a go and it was amazing. This ziti was so easy to make and delicious; the cottage cheese increased the protein which made me very happy. Thank you this was a lovely family dinner.
Beth Pierce
I love this recipe. It makes dinner so much easier and faster! My family loves it!
Alyson C Schlobohm
This is, hands down, one of the best dishes I have ever made. It was PRECISELY what I was looking for and my husband and father have been as WOWED by it as I am.
I so infrequently follow recipes step-by-step but something told me to with this one; my intuition almost never fails 😉 I did add meat, venison (because I was out of ground beef) and sausage. My only other alteration was adding an extra can of diced tomatoes b/c I REALLY like sauce and tomato chunks but it almost made it too saucy - this is one of the few recipes where I would strongly recommend you just do as she says!
Thank you so much for providing this little slice of heaven - just finished off yet another bowl of it!
Kristen Chidsey
I LOVE LOVE hearing how much you enjoyed this recipe Alyson. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
DJ
I made this. I left out the cottage cheese because I tried a different pasta dish with the stuff and my kids didn't like it. I also added some ground beef.
Its pretty good. Very easy and cheap to make. I'm going to toss in some garlic next time. My wife thought the recipe was missing something and it was probably garlic.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi DJ! I am glad you found this easy (and inexpensive) to make! I think adding garlic and some extra cheese (since you are not using cottage cheese) is a great idea.
CW
Wonderful recipe. Has become a family and friends favorite. I added a small amount of garlic powder to the sauce. I also cook in a couple shakes of Parmesan cheese — has passed the family test! Thank you for sharing.
Kristen Chidsey
I love when meals get the family seal of approval. Thanks for sharing 😊
Nadia
I made this recipe with rigatoni! I made a couple of modifications. I used 36 oz jar of my favorite pasta sauce and put crockpot on warm for 2.5 hours. Then added 1 lb browned ground beef, cottage cheese, and rigatoni. Note, you’ll need to add 12 oz (1.5 cups) of water for the rigatoni to cook in. Then took about 40 min on high to cook all the way through!
Kristen Chidsey
I love when people are able to take inspiration from my recipe and make it their own. Sounds delicious Nadia!
Michele Hawkins
Do you cook the ziti first. The recipe is not clear
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Michelle, I am going to update right this recipe shortly to be sure it is super clear. You do NOT cook the ziti first. Part of the beauty of this fast meal 🙂 Enjoy!
Amy D
What is the significance of the honey? Can it be left out? I typically don't care for sweet red sauces.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Amy,
You can certainly leave out the honey. However, this small amount doesn't add much sweetness. It just helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. Enjoy 🙂