Crockpot Baked Ziti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. Italian sausage (casings removed, sweet or mild also work)
- ½ onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 36 oz. marinara sauce (1½ jars)
- 1½ cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 lb. dry ziti pasta ((1 box), any short shaped pasta is good)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for topping)
- fresh basil (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- 1
Add the olive oil to a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- 2
Break Up
- 3
Once heated, add the sausage and use a wooden spoon to break it up into chunks. Brown the sausage and drain any fat that remains in the pan.
- 4
Sauté
- 5
Add in the onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning, sautéing until the onions are soft.
- 6
Pour the marinara sauce and broth over the meat and stir until combined.
- 7
Spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
- 8
Spread a layer of meat sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker covering it completely.
- 9
Top with half of the uncooked pasta.
- 10
Drop 4-5 spoonfuls of ricotta over pasta.
- 11
Sprinkle ½ cup mozzarella cheese over the ricotta.
- 12
Repeat with another layer of meat sauce, the remaining pasta, the remaining ricotta, and ½ cup mozzarella. Spread the remaining meat sauce over the top.
- 13
Cook
- 14
Cover and cook on high for 1½-2 hours or on low for 2-4 hours. At the lower end of the cook time, check to make sure the pasta isn't getting mushy.
- 15
Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- 16
Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.
Nutrition
Per serving (based on 8 servings)
