Crock Pot Baked Ziti

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A spoon getting some baked ziti from a crockpot.

This Crock Pot Baked Ziti recipe is perfect for busy weeknights! With melty cheese, tender ziti pasta, and a rich, hearty sauce, it's a pasta dish everyone will love.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword crockpot, pasta, slow cooker

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 3 30

Total Time 3 45

Servings servings

Calories 644kcal

Author Jillian Wade

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage casings removed
1 large yellow onion chopped fine
3 large garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
8 ounces ziti
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped basil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make a foil collar for the slow cooker by folding 2 pieces of foil into 2 strips measuring approximately 18x14 inches each. Line the inside of the slow cooker insert with foil strips and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally to break up large chunks until cooked through and browned, about 7-8 minutes. Add onion and cook until onions are translucent and starting to brown around edges, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add raw ziti, and cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta edges are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Scrape the mixture into the prepared slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low until the pasta is tender, about 3 hours.
Use tongs to remove the foil collar from the slow cooker. Spoon ricotta over the ziti and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Turn off the slow cooker, cover, and let the cheese melt for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

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