This crock pot manicotti is creamy, cheesy, and incredibly easy to make. With no need to boil the pasta, this slow cooker recipe is the perfect hands-off vegetarian dinner.
Crock Pot Manicotti
If you’re looking for an easy dinner that practically cooks itself, this crock pot manicotti is the answer. It’s rich, cheesy, and made without boiling the pasta.
Simply fill the uncooked manicotti, layer it with sauce and cheese, and let the slow cooker do all the work.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No need to boil pasta
- Perfect hands-off slow cooker meal
- Creamy, cheesy, and comforting
- Great for busy weeknights
- Vegetarian-friendly
What Makes This Recipe So Easy
Traditional manicotti requires boiling pasta and carefully filling each piece. However, this method skips that step completely.
Instead, the pasta cooks directly in the slow cooker, absorbing flavor from the sauce while staying perfectly tender.
How to Make Crock Pot Manicotti
- Mix ricotta, spinach, cheeses, egg, and seasonings
- Fill uncooked manicotti using a piping bag or zip-top bag
- Add sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker
- Layer filled manicotti on top
- Cover with more sauce and cheese
- Cook until tender and bubbly
Make-Ahead Tips
You can assemble everything the day before and store it in the fridge. Then simply place it in the slow cooker when ready to cook.
This makes it perfect for busy schedules and stress-free dinners.
Pro Tips for Best Results
- Do not overfill the manicotti to prevent breaking
- Make sure pasta is fully covered with sauce
- Use a zip-top bag for easy filling
- Let it rest for a few minutes before serving
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to cook the pasta first?
No. The pasta cooks directly in the slow cooker.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble in advance and cook when ready.
Can I freeze manicotti?
Yes. Freeze before or after cooking.
Crock Pot Manicotti (Easy No-Boil Slow Cooker Recipe)
Ingredients
For Filling
- 15 oz Ricotta
- 1/4 Cup Goat Cheese
- 1/4 Cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 Clove Garlic minced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 Egg
- 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- Salt + Pepper
For Manicotti
- 8 oz manicotti shells (uncooked)
- 1 Cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 Cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 24 oz tomato sauce or marinara sauce
Garnish (optional)
- 1/2 Cup Pine nuts toasted (optional)
- Basil chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Place all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined
- Pour the filling inside a large zip top bag. Cut away one corner
- Fill each uncooked manicotti with the filling
- In the bowl of a slow cooker pour 1/3 of the tomato sauce
- Spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker
- Arrange half of the stuffed manicotti in a single layer
- Cover with sauce and half of the cheeses
- Add remaining manicotti on top
- Cover with remaining sauce and cheese
- Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, until pasta is tender
Notes
- Make sure all manicotti are fully covered with sauce
- Use a zip-top bag to easily fill the pasta shells
- Do not overfill to prevent breaking
- Let rest for a few minutes before serving
Nutrition
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So I made all the shells and froze them ( prepping for baby #2). I know I can thaw first and likely do the 2 hour cook time. Have you tried this, by chance? Really hoping to cook from frozen.
Hi Emily! congrats on the baby! Honestly, I do not recommend freezing them. The texture of and shape of the pasta doesn’t hold very well.
Planning to try this tomorrow with gluten free shells (fingers crossed!) and with fresh spinach. Any clue on what you would recommend for amount of spinach when it is fresh not frozen? Still an ounce?
Hi Erin! Remember that Spinach wilts a lot, so if using fresh, double the amount of spinach needed. Let me know how it turns out!
I only used about an ounce and it was good, although I wasn’t looking for heavy spinach. I could have used more, but it was fine as it was. I did use more sauce, as the gluten free noodles I expected to be an issue and found with more sauce and cooking on high, I should have cooked for a shorter time. It turned out good, but the noodles wound up disintegrating. I will try again with either less sauce or less time. 🙂
Oh Erin, thanks for your feedback. So sorry about your pasta disintegrating. GF pasta uses less time than regular one, I guess.
What do you think about doubling the recipe in the crockpot or layering extra manicotti on top of each other? I am a nurse and am thinking this might be good to take to work to feed my co-workers on a weekend shift when the cafeteria doesn’t have anything good to offer.
Hi Pam! Sounds great, just make sure you have enough sauce to cover BOTH layers!
Let me know how it comes out
This was great. Made without spinach because I didn’t have it.
Yummy!
Thanks for the feedback Christina!
Do you think the manicotti could be prepped the night before, refrigerated, and put in the slow cooker the next day? Thanks!
yes Katie! it would work great
really delicious recipe!! i always caramelize onions and garlic whenever i have ricotta in a recipe, taste great with the creaminess. Totally will make again!
That’s a great tip, Jill! I am sure it the caramelized onions will give it a nice sweetness to the recipe. Glad you like the manicotti and thanks for your feedback
Made this today and every one LOVED it! I made some slight changes based on what I had: cottage cheese mixed with chopped fresh spinach, fresh mozzarella, Parm and a little pesto for the filling, and used some fresh spinach in the layering. I also topped with the fresh mozzarella and Parmesan. The bag worked so well for putting the filling in. Mine cooked on high for 2 hours but next time I’ll do 2.5 hours. My kids ate so much-everyone had multiple servings! Yay!! Win!!! Thank you!!
Love your changes Alison! the addition of pesto is genius! Thanks for your feedback
Do you have a substitution suggestion for goat cheese? Our small town grocery store doesn’t carry it. And please don’t say cottage cheese…..that stuff should rot in hell lol. Nasty! Any other suggestions?
What about ricotta cheese or even feta
We love love love this recipe! Every couple of weeks i make large batches of tasty food for my grandma, my husbands grandparents and a coworker and I am planning on making this for them! I usually make them in disposable pans and was wondering what you would recommend for cook time in a conventional oven? I would be making a day ahead if time so they would sit in the fridge overnight and then be cooked the next day. Thank you!
Hi Elena! For a conventional oven bake covered for 45 minutes uncover and let it brown on top for 15 minutes more
What temp and how long would you recommend to do this in the oven for?
350 F for about 35-45 minutes. Sauce should be bubbly
I freeze these all the time . I assemble them and then put them back in the tray that the manicotti came in. I wrapped them securely in plastic wrap, then put them back in the box thay came in, date them and put them in the freezer.
Thanks for the tips Judy!
Great idea! Do you unthaw before cooking? or just layer them in to the sauce and cheese still frozen?
I do not thaw! that’s the great thing!