Baked Ziti in the Slow Cooker
 
 
Believe it or not, you really can get the taste of a traditional oven-baked ziti from a slow cooker.
Author:
Recipe type: Slow Cooker Meals
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1 bag Quorn Grounds
  • 6-8 cups homemade or prepared tomato sauce
  • 1 lb. box ziti
  • 1 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2-3 tablespoons minced parsley
  • 7-8 basil leaves, torn into small pieces
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan, divided
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella (preferably UAV mozzarella)
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (or if you're using the Cuisnart multifunction slow cooker, press the sauté button and lower the temperature to 275 degrees). Sauté the onion for about 5-6 minutes, lower the heat to 250 degrees, add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the Frozen Quorn Grounds and sauté 6-8 minutes until lightly browned. Remove the cooked onion, garlic and Grounds to a bowl.
  2. Put all of the uncooked ziti in a bowl, mix in 3 cups of sauce, and stir well. Put half of the mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  3. Mix the ricotta, beaten egg, ½ cup of the Parmesan, minced parsley, torn basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spread the ricotta mixture over the sauced ziti, and then put the onion, garlic, and grounds mixture as the next layer. Top with a cup or so of the tomato sauce and then top with half the shredded mozzarella.
  4. Put the remaining sauced ziti as your next layer, and then cover with the rest of the tomato sauce.
  5. Cover the slow cooker. Turn to high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
  6. In the last 20-30 minutes of cooking, check to make sure that the ziti is tender and fully cooked. Top with the remaining mozzarella and the remaining ¼ cup of grated Parmesan, and let it look for the last 20-30 minutes until the top layer of cheese is melted but not crusty.
Notes
© 2015 Nancy Olah
All Rights Reserved
Recipe by Fool a Carnivore at https://foolacarnivore.com/slow-cooker-baked-ziti/