Slow Cooker Baked Ziti Americas Test Kitchen Recipes

SLOW COOKER BAKED ZITI, AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN

Steps:

• Make aluminum foil collar for slow cooker by folding 2 (18-inch-long) pieces of foil to make 2 (18 by 4-inch) strips. Line perimeter of slow cooker with foil strips and spray with vegetable oil spray.
• Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook sausage, breaking up pieces with spoon, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add ziti and cook, stirring constantly, until edges of pasta become translucent, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer mixture to prepared slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until pasta is tender, about 3 hours.
• Using tongs, remove foil collar from slow cooker and stir gently to redistribute pasta. Dollop ricotta over ziti and sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes to let cheeses melt. Garnish with basil and serve.

SLOW-COOKER 'BAKED' ZITI

Steps:

• Place pasta in slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray. Reserve 1/2 cup mozzarella for later use. Add remaining mozzarella to slow cooker along with all remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Cover with lid.
• Cook on LOW 3 to 4 hours (or on HIGH 2 to 3 hours).
• Top with reserved mozzarella; cook (covered) on HIGH 10 min. or until melted.

SLOW-COOKER BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, egg, basil, and if desired, red pepper flakes; set aside. Pour pasta sauce into a 5-qt. slow cooker. Evenly top sauce with pasta; pour water over top. Drop heaping tablespoons of ricotta cheese mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. , Cover; cook on high until heated through and pasta is tender, 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Top with fresh basil and if desired, Parmesan cheese and additional red pepper flakes; serve immediately.

SLOW COOKER BAKED ZITI RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground turkey with chopped onions.
• Once meat is fully cooked, drain well.
• Mix in Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Pour in spaghetti sauce and stir all together until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, egg whites, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
• Spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line with slow cooker liner.
• Pour 1 1/2 cups of sauce in bottom of slow cooker.
• On top of sauce, layer half the noodles, half the cheese mixture, and another 1 1/2 cups of sauce. Repeat the layers twice ending with sauce.
• Cook on high for 30 minutes, and then switch to low for 2-3 hours or until noodles are tender and Ziti is cooked through.
• 10 minutes before serving, top Ziti with remaining mozzarella cheese and continue cooking until melted.

SLOW COOKER BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Stir ground beef, sausage, basil, oregano, pepper, and salt together in a bowl.
• Cook and stir beef mixture in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic in hot oil until slightly golden and tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Stir beef mixture, onion mixture, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and red peppers together in a large bowl.
• Stir 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese together in a separate bowl.
• Spoon 1/3 of meat mixture into the slow cooker; top with 1/2 the ziti pasta. Drop 1/2 the cheese mixture by rounded tablespoons over the ziti; carefully spread cheese mixture over ziti using the back of the spoon. Repeat layering process 1 more time. Pour remaining meat sauce over the top and place the lid on the slow cooker.
• Cook on Low for until ziti is tender, 6 to 7 hours (or cook on High for 3 to 5 hours).
• Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella over the top of the baked ziti and let stand until melted, about 10 minutes.

OVER-THE-TOP BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• In a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 10 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours., Cook ziti according to package directions. In a large bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper and 5 cups sauce. Drain ziti; stir into cheese mixture., Transfer to a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour remaining sauce over the top; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with additional parsley.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN SKILLET BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 475.
• Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet and saute over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. (If your skillet is not ovensafe, transfer the pasta mixture into a shallow 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with the cheese and baking).
• Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15-18 minutes.
• Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve.