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Classic Baked Ziti
Andre Lewis

Crockpot Baked Ziti with Beef and Mushrooms

Brown the mushrooms until their liquid has cooked away before adding beef, because that gives the sauce a savory base without making the final liquid amount a guess. Dry ziti cooks in the tomato broth, and the cheeses go in only after the tubes are tender. Leave the ricotta in spoonfuls so it stays distinct from the red sauce, then let the mozzarella soften across the top. The slow cooker won’t give you a crisp oven crust, but it can give you a generous bowl of tender ziti with recognizable cheese pockets if you stop at the right time.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms finely chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 can 28 oz tomato passata
  • 2 1/2 cups unsalted beef broth
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 12 oz dry ziti
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
  • 6 oz low-moisture mozzarella shredded
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup extra unsalted beef broth only if pasta needs more liquid

Method
 

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms and onion for 8 minutes until the released liquid evaporates, then add beef and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until 160°F; add garlic for 1 minute.
  2. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker and stir in passata, the 2 1/2 cups broth, basil, salt and pepper. Fold in dry ziti until every tube is coated and settled into the liquid.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring gently after 1 hour. Begin checking the center pasta at 90 minutes and stop when tender, adding some of the measured extra broth only if the tubes are still firm and the sauce is nearly absorbed.
  4. Drop ricotta in small spoonfuls over the hot pasta, sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan and cover for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese melts and the center is 165°F.
  5. Switch off and rest uncovered for 10 minutes. Spoon into six bowls without fully stirring away the ricotta pockets; the ziti goes into the cooker dry and needs no separate boiling.