Description
A crowd‑pleasing easy crockpot baked ziti that layers uncooked pasta, savory tomato sauce, creamy ricotta, and three cheeses right in the slow cooker—for a hands‑off, luscious pasta dinner everyone devours.
Ingredients
2 (25‑oz) jars pasta sauce
15 oz tomato sauce
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, eggs, and fresh basil.
In another bowl, combine the two jars of pasta sauce with the tomato sauce.
Spray a 6‑quart (or larger) slow cooker lightly with cooking spray for easy cleanup.
Pour about 2 ⅓ cups of the sauce mixture into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Add one-third of the uncooked penne pasta evenly over the sauce.
Dollop or layer half of the ricotta mixture over the pasta.
Sprinkle with half of the Parmesan cheese.
Repeat: another 2 ⅓ cups of sauce, one-third of the pasta, the remaining ricotta mixture, and the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Top with the final third of the pasta and cover with the remaining sauce to ensure everything cooks evenly.
Cover and cook on high for approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, watching closely toward the end to avoid overly soft noodles.
Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top and cook an additional 15 minutes, until melted and bubbly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian‑American