Pasta and red sauce are two of my all-time favorite foods. And there’s nothing quite like baked ziti with that perfectly browned, super cheesy top—it's pure nostalgia for me. The magic of an old-school Italian restaurant will always hold a special place in my heart. After years of tweaking and testing, I’m thrilled to share that this Meatless Baked Ziti recipe is pure magic.
Imagine creamy ricotta cheese, perfectly cooked ziti, and your favorite marinara sauce all coming together in one deliciously baked pasta dish. As a busy mom of three, I wanted to make sure my girls didn’t miss out on how incredible baked pasta can be. This recipe is another 7-ingredient or less wonder that’s sure to become a family favorite.
If you are all in on the pasta train like we are, especially in the winter months when comfort food is a MUST, definitely try out my Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake (it’s like spinach artichoke dip and baked pasta had a baby), my Creamy Pesto Pasta (made on the stove in less than 20 minutes) and my Tuna and Sweet Corn Pasta Bake.
Ingredients
- Ziti: A tubular pasta with no ridges on the outside, this is a classic pasta shape for a baked pasta dish. You can easily substitute with penne or rigatoni.
- Ricotta: I use part skim and don’t worry about draining it for this recipe.
- Shredded Mozzarella: The pre-packaged shredded mozzarella works great here, but feel free to shred some fresh on a box grater.
- Parmesan: Grate your own from a wedge of cheese on a microplane if you have time. Otherwise, grab the pre-grated type from the cheese counter. Do not use the shelf stable Parmesan in the green container...it won't melt into your sauce well.
- Pasta Sauce: Your favorite marinara sauce is the perfect choice for this recipe. I use whatever my kids love that I have in the pantry at the time. You do want to be sure it’s a pasta sauce and not just tomato sauce.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350℉ degrees and then prepare your 9x13 baking dish by spraying with cooking spray. Then cook the pasta according to the package directions. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and set aside.
Pour one cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
Then while the pasta cooks, mix together the eggs, ricotta, ½ the shredded mozzarella, the parmesan and the remaining pasta sauce in a medium mixing bowl.
Stir until well combined.
Add the cooked pasta and stir until all the pieces of pasta are well combined with the cheese-sauce mixture.
Cover with the remaining mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes. Once the top is browning and the insides are hot and bubbly, remove from the oven and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
While my kids and I are happy to just eat this vegetarian baked ziti and call it dinner, some people (looking at you husband), like to have a side dish along with it. I’ll typically serve a big green salad, roasted vegetable or a pull apart garlic bread on the side.
Or flip things around and serve the meatless baked ziti as the side dish for a main meal like pesto salmon, lemon garlic butter baked fish or
I also love to entertain with a “pasta bar”. I’ll serve this baked pasta, a creamy pasta dish like creamy pesto pasta or creamy zucchini pasta and then make a batch of pink sauce and garlic butter along with plain noodles for people (read picky kiddos) to DIY their pasta bowl.
Vegetable Add-Ins
While this recipe is delicious and filling on its own, you can definitely add in some extra veggies for a fully vegetarian baked ziti experience. Here are my veggie suggestions:
- Roasted Broccoli or Pureed Broccoli (just add it right to the sauce)
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Roasted Eggplant
Recipe Variations
- Smoked cheese: Change the mozzarella for a smoked mozzarella variety. You’ll find this at many specialty cheese shops and Whole Foods. Grate it on the big holes of your box grater.
- Gluten free: Simply swap the ziti for your favorite gluten free pasta.
- Vegan: You can find vegan swaps for the cheese’s and then you can use flax eggs in place of the eggs. Be sure you are using a vegan pasta brand as well.
- Added Protein: Add in meatless crumbles (Morningstar, Beyond Meat and Impossible all make great options). If you are okay with meat and don’t keep kosher, you can stir in shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked ground beef. Flaked hot smoked salmon would also be a great added protein.
- Vodka Sauce: Swap the marinara sauce for either a homemade or store bought vodka sauce.
- Spice it up: Add crushed red pepper flakes (to taste) directly to the cheese mixture before adding in the pasta.
How to Freeze Baked Ziti
Meatless baked ziti is a great dish to drop at a friend's house. Whether it’s a new baby, a rough patch or just because, having this comforting pasta dish on hand will certainly brighten their day.
❄️To freeze: Let it cool completely and then wrap the entire baking dish in plastic wrap and then cover with foil. On the foil write the defrosting and cooking directions.
🔥To reheat: Let the dish defrost on the counter, remove the plastic wrap, replace the foil and bake at 350 degrees until the middle is hot (about 30 minutes). To make sure the dish doesn’t dry out, you can add an additional cup of pasta sauce right over the top before reheating.
More Simple Dinner Ideas
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📖 Recipe
6-Ingredient Meatless Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ziti or other tubular pasta
- 15 oz Ricotta
- 16 oz Shredded Mozzarella
- 1 cup Parmesan
- 2 jars Marinara Sauce 32 oz jars
- 2 Eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then prepare your 9x13 baking dish by spraying with cooking spray.
- Then cook the pasta according to the package directions. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and set aside.
- Pour one cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Then while the pasta cooks, mix together the eggs, ricotta, ½ the shredded mozzarella, the parmesan and the remaining pasta sauce in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Add the cooked pasta and stir until all the pieces of pasta are well combined with the cheese-sauce mixture.
- Cover with the remaining mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes. Once the top is browning and the insides are hot and bubbly, remove from the oven and enjoy!
Notes
- To reheat leftovers: Add an extra spoonful of sauce on top of the baked ziti, then microwave in 30 seconds increments until hot throughout.
- Make the dish gluten free by swapping the pasta for a gluten free variety.
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