Description
This Meatless Baked Ziti is a rich, cheesy comfort dish layered with creamy ricotta, bubbly mozzarella, and tangy marinara sauce. It’s the perfect vegetarian main for family dinners, holidays, or when you need a crowd-pleasing bake that’s easy to prep ahead and full of flavor. Even meat-lovers will be coming back for seconds!
Ingredients
12 oz ziti or rigatoni pasta
3 cups marinara sauce
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Boil pasta in salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. (Optional) In a small pan, heat olive oil and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, beaten egg, Parmesan, and herbs until well combined.
5. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
6. Toss the cooked pasta with the remaining marinara sauce.
7. Add half of the sauced pasta to the dish, then spread half of the ricotta mixture over it.
8. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella.
9. Repeat with the remaining pasta, ricotta, and mozzarella.
10. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
11. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
12. Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden.
13. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra herbs if desired.
Notes
Cook pasta just until al dente; it will continue cooking in the oven.
For added depth, sauté garlic in olive oil and stir into your marinara.
Let the dish rest after baking so it sets up and slices cleanly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 65mg