Enjoy the ultimate comfort food experience with this Meatless Baked Ziti recipe! This hearty and wholesome dish combines perfectly cooked ziti pasta with a rich and flavorful tomato sauce, and a delightful blend of gooey mozzarella cheese and creamy ricotta.
Sometimes we just want a meatless dinner on busy weekdays, and this recipe has it all. It's easy to make, perfect to make ahead, and it makes a lot! You'll have leftovers for lunch the next day and the day after!
There's nothing better than a baked pasta dish! Pizza pasta casserole , chicken parmesan pasta bake, 5 ingredient baked ziti, and baked spaghetti and meatballs are some of our family favorite recipes!
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Why You'll Love This Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe
- It can be made ahead of time. If you are into meal prepping, this is a great recipe to make and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it.
- It's a filling dinner! Meatless recipes are all the rage, and this one is so filling and perfect on it's own or with a simple side salad. Just like meat and vegetable lasagna, it's filling and serves a lot of people!
- It's freezer friendly! This recipe can be made and placed in the freezer for a later dinner. It's also great to make and give to someone in need, like a friend about to have a baby.
Ingredients to Gather
- Ziti pasta. Ziti or penne pasta are great in this recipe. Ziti pasta is long and has a hole in the middle to catch all the sauce and cheese.
- Spinach. You'll want 2 pounds of fresh spinach, or one 10 ounce box of frozen spinach, drained.
- Ricotta. At the grocery store you can find whole milk ricotta or part skim ricotta. Either is a good choice.
- Pasta sauce. I like to make my own pasta sauce every time I make pasta, but you can use a homemade marinara sauce or your favorite jarred sauce.
- Cheese. We are going to use 3 cups of shredded mozzarella and some parmesan cheese. If you prefer to shred your own cheese, you can buy a brick of mozzarella or a brick of fresh mozzarella and shred or chop it up.
See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Meatless Baked Ziti
Do I Have To Cook The Pasta First?
You don't have to cook the pasta before you add it to the baking dish, bit you would have to add more liquid when baking.
I find it easier to cook the pasta first and the drain it because it won't make the baked ziti too liquidy.
What Size Baking Dish is Best?
You'll want at least a 9x13x2 inch baking dish. This recipe makes a lot of pasta. You can also use a large skillet that is at least 12 inches wide. I like using a Le Creuset baking dish, but any 9x13 inch glass dish will work for this recipe. An 8x8 inch pan will be too small for this recipe.
Tips and Tricks
- Don't overcook the pasta! Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes less than what the box says. When it bakes in the oven, the pasta will cook more and you don't want overcooked ziti pasta.
- To prevent the baked ziti from browning too quickly, cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil to prevent the top from burning.
- To make this even cheesier, chunk the mozzarella instead of using shredded mozzarella. That will give you those long pulls of mozzarella throughout the baked ziti.
- Sprinkle the top of the pasta with chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh parsley, or your favorite fresh herbs.
Variations
- Add meat! If you don't want to make this meatless, add ground beef, ground Italian sausage, or ground chicken into the sauce to make it a meat sauce.
- Change the cheese! Instead of ricotta cheese, you can use cottage cheese believe it or not! Cottage cheese is actually a popular option in lasagna and baked pasta recipes. You can also use pecorino Romano if you prefer that over parmesan cheese.
- Add extra veggies! Roast up some bell pepper, red onion, zucchini, mushrooms, cauliflower, or broccoli and add it right to the ricotta mixture.
- Change the pasta! Ziti noodles or penne pasta is classic, but you could use rigatoni, rotini, farfalle, or shells. Use whatever pasta your whole family loves!
- Add more seasoning! Feel free to add a little bit of garlic powder or some crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy kick!
- Make individual portions! If you have small baking dishes you can fill each dish with the baked ziti and then place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until brown and bubbly.
How To Serve Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe
- Just like spaghetti, this baked ziti is perfect with a lot of different recipes. I've compiled a list of what to serve with spaghetti that would work well with this baked ziti too!
- With your favorite veggies! Italian sauteed eggplant, baked brown sugar carrots, or roasted Brussel sprouts are all great side dishes for this pasta dish.
- With a crusty bread! Sourdough discard bread, whole wheat rolls, or Instant Pot bread are all great options! A classic garlic bread never hurt a dinner either!
- With a protein! Instant Pot pork tenderloin, Instant Pot turkey tenderloin, Instant Pot chicken thighs, and Instant Pot chicken drumsticks are all great options to serve as a protein to this recipe.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat leftovers, place them in a small baking dish and bake for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
How To Freeze Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe
To freeze this recipe, make the recipe completely and add it to a freezer safe baking dish. Allow it to cool to room temperature and then cover it with aluminum foil. Place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To defrost the pasta, place it in the refrigerator 24 hours before you want to bake it. When it has defrosted, bake it in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes definitely! If you have a favorite gluten free pasta feel free to use that here too. Chick pea pasta or lentil pasta would also be great too!
No! If you prefer, you can use your favorite jarred tomato sauce. You'll want 2 cups of tomato sauce.
The eggs keep the ricotta and the cheese mixture together. If you do not use the eggs, the cheese mixture will be very loose. If you prefer that type of baked ziti, feel free to leave out the eggs.
More Pasta Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pasta Ziti or Penne
- 1 lb Ricotta Cheese Whole Milk or Part-Skim
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 3 cups Mozzarella Divided
- 3 Eggs
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
- 10 ounce Frozen Spinach 1 box, defrosted and drained
- 1 Onion
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 28 ounce Tomato Sauce Canned, or 1 jar of your favorite prepared tomato sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and add the pasta to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes less than the package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, add the olive oil and chopped onion to a small saucepan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the canned tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat to medium-high heat. Season with salt and black pepper.
- In a large bowl, add the ricotta, Italian seasoning, eggs, parmesan cheese, and 2 cups of mozzarella. Add the defrosted and drained spinach. Mix well until a creamy mixture forms.
- Add 2 cups of the tomato sauce to the large bowl and mix well.
- Drain the pasta and add the cooked pasta to the large bowl. Mix well. Spoon the pasta mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the rest of the mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you are using fresh spinach, use 2 cups of spinach and boil them for 5 minutes until wilted and then drain all the liquid out of the spinach.
- You'll want at least a 9x13x2 inch baking dish. This recipe makes a lot of pasta.
- Don't overcook the pasta! Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes less than what the box says. When it bakes in the oven, the pasta will cook more and you don't want overcooked ziti pasta.
- To prevent the baked ziti from browning too quickly, cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil to prevent the top from burning.
- To make this even cheesier, chunk the mozzarella instead of using shredded mozzarella. That will give you those long pulls of mozzarella throughout the baked ziti.
- Sprinkle the top of the pasta with chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh parsley, or your favorite fresh herbs.
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