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Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe (Vegetarian, Holiday Side Dish)

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This meatless baked ziti 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 homemade garlic knots and a huge side salad for a delicious dinner.

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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!
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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.

I made a list of my 125 favorite vegan pantry ingredients that we use on a weekly basis, and check out all my vegetarian recipes here that are on The Herbeevore. These easy and quick recipes are fantastic meatless meals for your table.

What’s In This Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe?

See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

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Meatless Comfort Food Dinner Recipes

This meat free baked ziti is the tastiest, coziest dinner meal. It’s perfect for a hearty meal for the family, and also great to make for company if you are having guests for dinner. It makes a great holiday meal as well for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, or Easter table.

The oven does most of the work, so you can enjoy hands-off time while you prep sides or a salad!

How Do I Make This Baked Ziti Recipe without Meat?

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes covered, and an additional 20 minutes uncovered until pasta and cheese becomes hot and bubbly.
  6. ***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.
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A Great Make Ahead Baked Ziti for Entertaining

This meatless baked ziti recipe is fantastic to make ahead of time for a party, potluck, or gathering. Making this recipe in advance allows you to skip any cooking or prep on the day-of. This is a great recipe to entertain with, or bring to an event. A crowd-pleaser that everyone is sure to love! Check out my other make ahead meals too.

More Meatless Family Dinner Recipes You’ll Love!

Creamy Mushroom Tetrazzini Recipe (Dairy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian)

Vegetarian Chicken and Dumplings Soup Recipe

Egg Drop Soup with Rice Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)

Black Bean & Pumpkin Quesadilla Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)

Vegan Beef Stew Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Plant Based)

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Share This Baked Ziti without Meat!

As always, if you make this vegetarian and gluten free baked ziti recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you.  I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

Let’s keep in touch – make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get free recipe inspiration. And don’t forget to follow over on Pinterest, Instagram , & my YouTube channel – I’d love to connect with you there! 

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Meatless Baked Ziti

Kelly Jensen
A fantastic meatless side dish for any party or holiday gathering!  This vegetarian comfort food will WOW your guests and satisfy vegetarians & meat-eaters alike.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Holiday, Pasta
Cuisine Italian, Vegetarian
Servings 8
Calories 366 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 13 x 9 baking dish

Ingredients
  

  • 1 (16 ounce) Box Ziti noodles use gluten free
  • 1 tablespoons 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 190mgPotassium: 301mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1574IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 169mgIron: 1mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a rating and comment below, let us know what you loved about it!

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Posted in Dinners, Favorites, For Entertaining, Holiday Recipes, Italian, Make Ahead, Pastas, Side Dishes, The Herbeevore Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

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