Meatless Baked Ziti with Ricotta Cheese Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis meatless baked ziti with ricotta recipe is a holiday side dish vegetarians & meat eaters alike will devour! Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with mushrooms, spinach, rich tomato sauce, and ricotta cheese.
This is one fantastic pasta bake without meat the whole family will love. Serve with easy vegan garlic knots and a spinach chickpea salad for a delicious dinner.
Want more tasty pastas? Try our creamy Cajun pasta, gorgonzolla gnocchi, or our white wine pasta sauce!
When you want a hearty filling family dinner, there’s nothing better than a hot bubbling dish of meatless baked ziti! This baked pasta is super satisfying for a dinner, and makes a great dish for entertaining. It could be a delicious side dish for a holiday as well – a nice meatless alternative to a heavy holiday meal.
This meatless baked ziti is a really great make ahead dish! It can be put together in a casserole dish the night before, covered, and then baked as normal the next day. Serve with a side of Garlic Lover’s Garlic Bread and a giant Potluck salad, and you have a fantastic meatless meal any day of the week!
This Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe Is:
- Hot
- Creamy
- Cheesy
- Bubbly
- Decadent
- A Fantastic Meatless Monday Meal
- Vegetarian and Gluten Free!
Make Holiday Baked Ziti Vegetarian
This vegetarian baked ziti recipe is a simple way to get extra veggies in your diet. I’m all about making recipes plant-based when I can. Vegetarian cooking does NOT have to be bland, boring, or flavorless… It’s quite the opposite when done right.
By building meals around vegetarian pantry staples and swapping in a few plant-based ingredients you can make better meals for you and your family.
What’s In This Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe?
- Ziti or Penne- these thick pasta shapes are the perfect noodle for this dish – the sauce and cheese flows inside the pasta making each bite super decadent.
- Ricotta Cheese – this creamy and irresistible ricotta cheese is a fantastic base layer for this pasta!
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Spinach
- Garlic
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms
- Mozzarella Cheese – I used a shredded mozzarella for this recipe.
- parsley
- Tomato Sauce
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
Substitutions and Variations
- You can substitute cottage cheese for ricotta, if desired.
- Mozzarella cheese is great to top baked ziti, but you can also use a combination of mozzarella, Parmesan, or even provolone.
- If you want to add different vegetables, you can add bell peppers or zucchini too!
How To Make This Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook the ziti al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the olive oil, zucchini, ricotta, half of the mozzarella, parsley, spinach, and mushrooms. Mix together well so all the vegetables and cheese have combined.
- In a deep 13×9 inch baking dish, layer 1 cup tomato sauce, half of the pasta, half of the cheese/vegetable mixture. Repeat again with another layer of sauce, pasta, and cheese. Sauce one more time for the final layer, and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes covered, and an additional 20 minutes uncovered until pasta and cheese becomes hot and bubbly.
Recipe FAQs
If making ahead of time, follow steps 1-4, then wrap the baking dish in tin foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, follow the baking instructions below and enjoy.
Yes, baked ziti freezes really well. Freeze the entire dish after assembly but before baking, or freeze leftovers after it has been cooked. If freezing before baking, thaw it overnight in the fridge and bake following the directions below. If reheating from frozen, you may need to add extra baking time.
Yes! To make a vegan version of this recipe, use a vegan or plant-based ricotta cheese and mozzarella.
More Meatless Family Dinner Recipes You’ll Love!
- Creamy Mushroom Tetrazzini Recipe
- Vegetarian Chicken and Dumplings Soup Recipe
- Egg Drop Soup with Rice Recipe
- Vegan Beef Stew Recipe
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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Meatless Baked Ziti
Equipment
- 1 13 x 9 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) Box Ziti noodles use gluten free
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese (For Vegan Option: sub 1 cup cashew cream)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided (For Vegan Option: sub plant-based cheese)
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 32 ounces marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook the ziti al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the olive oil, garlic powder, zucchini, ricotta, half of the mozzarella, parsley, spinach, and mushrooms. Mix together well so all the vegetables and cheese have combined.
- In a deep 13×9 inch baking dish, layer 1 cup tomato sauce, half of the pasta, half of the cheese/vegetable mixture. Repeat again with another layer of sauce, pasta, and cheese. Sauce one more time for the final layer, and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes covered, and an additional 20 minutes uncovered until pasta and cheese becomes hot and bubbly.
- ***If making ahead of time, follow steps 1-4, then wrap the baking dish in tin foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, follow step 5.
Notes
Substitutions and Variations
- You can substitute cottage cheese for ricotta, if desired.
- Mozzarella cheese is great to top baked ziti, but you can also use a combination of mozzarella, Parmesan, or even provolone.
- If you want to add different vegetables, you can add bell peppers or zucchini too!
Nutrition
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This Italian gives this pasta an AAA+
Love pasta and this one is a winner