Spice up your dinner routine with Meatless Baked Ziti! Packed with bold tomato sauce, vibrant veggies, and oozy cheese, it’s a veggie delight that’s impossible to resist.
Meatless baked ziti is the ultimate comfort food and a perfectly tasty weeknight meal that will leave you and your family happy with full bellies.
To round out this dinner, try serving it with oven-roasted broccoli, or add some meat with Italian meatballs, and finish off with grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream.
Table of Contents
No Meat Meal
This delicious baked ziti is a filling Italian dish perfect for any night of the week! Packed with veggies and cheese, it’s a hearty meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Incorporating more meatless dinners like this into your routine can help with grocery bills and improve your health without sacrificing taste.
Not looking to go meatless? Not a problem. You can easily add some cooked Italian sausage, ground beef, or chicken to round out this baked pasta dish if you choose. Either way, it is sure to be a tasty meal!
Why We Love Baked Ziti
- This Meatless Baked Ziti is a fantastic pasta bake that’s super flavorful, making it a great dish to serve your hungry family.
- Meatless Baked Ziti recipe is straightforward and quick to assemble, perfect for busy weeknights.
- Choosing Meatless Baked Ziti supports a more sustainable lifestyle by reducing meat consumption.
Recipe Ingredients
Ricotta Cheese – Creamy ricotta adds the perfect richness to this dish.
Spaghetti Sauce – Choose your favorite flavored variety. A flavored sauce saves prep time and enhances the dish compared to plain tomato sauce. Jarred spaghetti sauces are a great time-saving hack!
Mozzarella Cheese – Shredded mozzarella cheese is used in this recipe for convenience and great melting.
For a full list of ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below.
Variations
Cheese Variation – Try using a mix of cheeses like provolone, gouda, fontina, or pecorino romano along with mozzarella. These cheeses will add a unique taste and creaminess to the baked ziti.
Vegetable Medley – Incorporate a mix of finely diced bell peppers (red, yellow, and green) and zucchini sautéed with onion and garlic. Add roasted eggplant cubes for a meaty texture and marinated or fresh artichoke hearts for a Mediterranean twist. Include pitted and sliced black olives for a salty, tangy flavor. Add mushrooms for an earthy, savory addition.
How to Make Meatless Baked Ziti
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Step 2: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and salt, and cook until the vegetables are soft. Then, add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the spaghetti sauce and water, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and simmer while the pasta is cooking.
Step 3: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the ziti to the pot and cook for 6 minutes, then drain.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
Step 5: Layer half of the ziti in a 9×13″ baking dish. Spread half of the tomato sauce over the top of the pasta. Spread or sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the top of the sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese mixture.
Step 6: Cover the pan with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
Cook Pasta Al Dente – Cook the pasta al dente, meaning it should be firm to the bite. This keeps the ziti from becoming too soft and mushy after baking.
Prevent Drying Out – To keep the ziti moist, cover it with aluminum foil while baking. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to let the cheese brown perfectly.
FAQs
Ziti noodles, penne, rigatoni, or mostaccioli work best for this recipe due to their hollow shapes, which hold the sauce and cheese well, ensuring each bite is flavorful.
Yes, you can assemble the ziti a day in advance. Store it covered in the refrigerator and bake it the next day, adding an extra 10 minutes to the baking time.
Storage Info
STORE Meatless Baked Ziti in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can FREEZE it for up to 3 months.
Once ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen. REHEAT in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. Alternatively, microwave individual portions on medium power for 2-3 minutes, or until hot.
More Delicious Recipes to Try
Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 1 medium carrot - shredded
- 1 stalk celery - diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 pound dried ziti pasta
For the Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese - shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and salt, and cook until the vegetables are soft. Then, add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the spaghetti sauce and water, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and simmer while the pasta is cooking.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the ziti to the pot and cook for 6 minutes, then drain.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
- Layer half of the ziti in a 9×13" baking dish. Spread half of the tomato sauce over the top of the pasta. Spread or sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the top of the sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese mixture.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
This meatless baked ziti was so delicious and cheesy!
Doesn’t give proportions!
I made this for our “Meatless Monday” and it was a hit. Pure comfort food and you don’t miss the meat at all!
I’m glad you found a meatless dish to add to your favorites!
this veggie baked ziti is amazing and my new favorite! The carrot was great and I even added some of my other favorite veggie!
I’m thrilled you found a new favorite and worked in extra vegetables!