• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
A Mind "Full" Mom
  • ingredient
    • Pasta
    • Beef
    • Poultry
    • Pork
    • Seafood
    • Vegetarian
    • soups
    • burgers
  • course
    • Beverages
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Main Courses
    • Sides
    • Salads
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Condiments
  • method
    • 30-Minute Meals
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Slow Cooker
    • Air Fryer
  • All Recipes
    • Main Courses
      • Beef Recipes
      • Chicken & Turkey
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Soup, Stew, and Chili
      • Vegetarian
    • Breakfast
    • Breads and Muffins
    • Desserts
    • Kid-Friendly
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Slow Cooker
    • Snacks
    • Pantry Staples
    • Allergy Friendly Recipes
      • Plant-Based
      • Gluten-Free
      • Dairy-Free
  • Instant Pot
  • 30-Minute Meals
  • Meet Kristen
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Instant Pot
  • 30-Minute Meals
  • All Recipes
  • Meet Kristen
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Crock Pot Pasta

    Budget Cooking Kid Friendly Main Courses Pasta Real Food Slow Cooker Recipes Vegetarian Recipes September 7, 2021 | By Kristen Chidsey | 47 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe
    Crock Pot Pasta is the easiest, most comforting way to enjoy pasta. This recipe for Slow Cooker Ziti features a homemade sauce, tons of cheese, and noodles that are cooked to perfection right in the slow cooker. This is one easy hands-off meal that is PERFECT for busy days! 

    This recipe for Crock Pot Pasta features a homemade sauce, tons of cheese, and noodles that are cooked to perfection right in the slow cooker. This is one easy hands-off meal that is PERFECT for busy days! 

    Serve this Crock Pot Baked Ziti with Homemade Garlic Toast and a side Greek Salad for a complete family meal that is satisfying, comforting, and super easy to prepare.

    Pasta plated on white plate topped with basil.

    Crock Pot Pasta

    I turned one of my favorite recipes, baked rotini, into a one-pot, easy, slow-cooker meal!

    YES, you heard me right! You can cook your pasta in the slow cooker! And the results are spectacular.

    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.

    Crock Pot Pasta is beyond simple, only dirties up one dish, and flavors are spot-on. It is a must-make dinner.

    Key Ingredients

    Ingredients for Slow Cooker Pasta
    • Tomato Sauce: I start his dish out with a version of my homemade tomato sauce. You can use any jarred spaghetti sauce your family likes, just be sure to follow the recipe modifications if using jarred sauce. add in an additional 1 cup water for pasta to have something to absorb while cooking. And you still need to let the sauce heat up before adding the pasta. I would cook on low for at least 1 hour.
    • Pasta: Shape and size of pasta matter for this recipe. I have tried this Crock-Pot Pasta with ziti, rotini, rigatoni, and elbow noodles with success. Spaghetti, linguine, and bow-tie pasta is not recommended.
    • Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese adds the perfect creaminess and texture to the pasta dish, but you can use ricotta instead.
    • Cheese: Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese add the perfect cheesy touch.
    • Meat (optional): This crock-pot pasta makes a hearty meatless dish, however, feel free to brown sausage or ground beef and add to when you add the pasta to the slow cooker.

    How to Make Slow Cooker Pasta

    • Mix together all the ingredients for the homemade tomato sauce.
    Ingredients for Pasta Sauce in Slow Cooker
    • Slow cook for several hours on low, allowing the sauce to develop its flavor and the tomatoes to mellow out.
    • Once the sauce has cooked, turn the heat to high. Stir in the pasta, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
    Slow Cooker with homemade tomato sauce, cheese, and cottage cheese
    • Cook for 30-45 minutes for whole grain pasta and 15-20 minutes for white pasta, or until the pasta is tender.
    Pasta in Slow Cooker with sauce
    • Top with Parmesan cheese, and let warm through before serving.
    Pasta Cooked Perfectly in Slow Cooker

    Recipe FAQs

    Can you use jarred spaghetti sauce?

    Absolutely. In place of the homemade tomato sauce, use 28 ounces of your favorite jarred sauce and add in an additional 1 cup water. Cook on low heat for 1 hour before adding the pasta, cottage cheese, and cheese.

    Can I add ground beef or sausage to the slow cooker pasta?

    Yes! Simply brown up one pound of lean ground beef or ground Italian sausage on the stove and then add to the slow cooker when you add the pasta.

    Can gluten-free noodles be used?

    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.

    Is the cheese necessary?

    The cheese makes this dish spectacular, but if you are dairy-free, feel free to omit the cottage cheese and shredded mozzarella and parmesan.

    What is the best way to store leftovers?

    Allow the pasta to cool and then store in the airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat individual servings in the microwave as desired.

    More Comforting Pasta Recipes

    • Creamy Chicken Casserole
    • Pasta Bolognese
    • Homemade Lasagna
    • Easy Taco Pasta
    • Instant Pot Creamy Italian Pasta
    • Instant Pot Spaghetti

    Make this Slow Cooker "Baked" Ziti and get dinner done without the hassle! And I would love for you to leave a comment and review below if you give this recipe a try.

    Plate of slow cooker ziti

    Crockpot Pasta

    This recipe for Slow Cooker Pasta features a homemade sauce, tons of cheese, and noodles that are cooked to perfection right in the slow cooker.
    4.77 from 26 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours hours
    Total Time: 5 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 357kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    Homemade Tomato Sauce

    • 28 ounce can tomato puree
    • 6 ounce can tomato paste
    • 3 cups water, divided
    • 1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

    For the Crock-Pot Ziti

    • prepared sauce OR 28 oz jarred sauce + additional 1 cup of water
    • 1 cup water
    • 16 ounces rotini or ziti noodles
    • 1 cup cottage cheese
    • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
    • ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • Mix together tomato puree, tomato paste, 2 cups water, oil, honey, and spices together 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 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

    • 6-8 quart Slow Cooker

    Notes

    Using Jarred Sauce: In place of the homemade tomato sauce, use 28 ounces of your favorite jarred sauce and add an additional 1 cup of water. Cook on low heat for 1 hour before adding the pasta, cottage cheese, and cheese.
    Adding Meat: Feel free to brown up ground beef or sausage and add to the sauce when you add the pasta.
    Ricotta: In place of cottage cheese, feel free to use ricotta cheese. 
    Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 675mg | Potassium: 815mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1000IU | Vitamin C: 15.2mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 3.2mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!

    This post was originally published in 2015 but was updated in 2020 with new pictures and a video.

     

    « Instant Pot Hummus
    Homemade Biscuits »

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Nicole

      July 07, 2020 at 10:48 pm

      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 ...

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        July 08, 2020 at 6:51 am

        Hi Nicole, yes you can make this without the cottage cheese without any issues. Enjoy and stay cool!

        Reply
      • Amy

        November 26, 2022 at 8:49 am

        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!

        Reply
        • Kristen Chidsey

          November 26, 2022 at 11:02 am

          Yes! Enjoy!

          Reply
    2. Toni

      May 27, 2020 at 5:19 pm

      5 stars
      I really loved how tasty and delicious this is!! So yummy!

      Reply
    3. Lily

      May 27, 2020 at 4:34 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    4. Beth Pierce

      May 27, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe. It makes dinner so much easier and faster! My family loves it!

      Reply
    5. Alyson C Schlobohm

      May 05, 2020 at 12:10 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        May 05, 2020 at 4:39 pm

        I LOVE LOVE hearing how much you enjoyed this recipe Alyson. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.

        Reply
    6. DJ

      December 31, 2019 at 2:18 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        December 31, 2019 at 8:22 am

        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.

        Reply
    7. CW

      February 01, 2019 at 12:27 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        February 01, 2019 at 6:42 am

        I love when meals get the family seal of approval. Thanks for sharing 😊

        Reply
    8. Nadia

      September 17, 2018 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        September 17, 2018 at 11:09 am

        I love when people are able to take inspiration from my recipe and make it their own. Sounds delicious Nadia!

        Reply
    9. Michele Hawkins

      September 03, 2018 at 12:49 am

      Do you cook the ziti first. The recipe is not clear

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        September 03, 2018 at 8:22 am

        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!

        Reply
    10. Amy D

      August 20, 2018 at 9:20 pm

      What is the significance of the honey? Can it be left out? I typically don't care for sweet red sauces.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        August 21, 2018 at 6:52 am

        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 🙂

        Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Primary Sidebar

    Crock Pot Pasta is the easiest, most comforting way to enjoy pasta. This recipe for Slow Cooker Ziti features a homemade sauce, tons of cheese, and noodles that are cooked to perfection right in the slow cooker. This is one easy hands-off meal that is PERFECT for busy days! 

    Meet a Mind "Full" Mom

    A Picture of A Mind"Full"Mom

    Hi! I'm Kristen. I want to welcome you into my kitchen and my REAL, imperfect life. Let me share with you tips and tricks to help you make healthy eating a reality for your family in the chaos of life and on the constraints of a budget. Read more

    Instant Pot Favorites

    • jar of plain yogurt next to instant pot
      Instant Pot Yogurt
    • Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Sliced Open on cutting board
      Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
    • Instant Pot Pot Roast sliced up on white platter with carrots and potatoes.
      Instant Pot Pot Roast
    • Whole seasoned chicken on trivet inside inner pot.
      Instant Pot Whole Chicken
    • Bowl of Cold Start Yogurt
      Instant Pot Cold Start Yogurt
    • Inner pot of instant pot filled dried beans
      Instant Pot Beans
    • How to use the instant pot as a slow cooker
      How to Use Your Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker
    • 4 chicken breasts cooked inside instant pot.
      Instant Pot Chicken Breast (Fresh or Frozen)

    Reader Favorites

    • Bowl of creamy coleslaw made with shredded green cabbage.
      Easy Homemade Coleslaw
    • Homemade Chicken Tenders on platter.
      Homemade Chicken Tenders
    • Baked Instant Pot Sweet Potato on white plate topped with pat of butter.
      Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Chili seasonings labled on wooden board
      Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • 3 Salmon Fillets on green plate topped with limes.
      Easy Baked Salmon
    • Instant Pot Chicken Wing being dipped into ranch dressing.
      Instant Pot Chicken Wings
    • Latte in glass mug with coffee beans on the counter.
      Easy Homemade Latte Recipe
    • Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice in yellow casserole dish
      Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice

    Footer

    Crock Pot Pasta is the easiest, most comforting way to enjoy pasta. This recipe for Slow Cooker Ziti features a homemade sauce, tons of cheese, and noodles that are cooked to perfection right in the slow cooker. This is one easy hands-off meal that is PERFECT for busy days! 

    Featured on:

    Websites AMind"Full"Mom has been featured on

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with me

    DISCLAIMER: THE SITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE AND IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR TREATMENT. AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I GENUINELY LOVE ARE OFTEN INCORPORATED IN MY POSTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

    Copyright © 2020 · A MIND "FULL" MOM