The Best Baked Ziti (Easy Meatless Recipe)
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Dry ziti noodles are cooked until just al dente and layered between creamy ricotta cheese, rich tomato sauce, and topped with a generous amount of parmesan and mozzarella cheese. This is a vegetarian baked ziti recipe that will quickly become a new family favorite! It is so flavorful and so creamy, that you’ll never even miss the meat!
If you’re looking for more baked pasta dishes, check out my Sheetpan Broccoli Tortellini Bake or my Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Ziti.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This ziti bake recipe is meatless, which is a great way to make an easy meal that everyone can enjoy!
- This is a great recipe that can be made ahead and served any day of the week–which is especially helpful for busy weeknights.
- You can divide the recipe in half or double it to make a pan now and freeze another for later.
- This dish is super flavorful and packed with three kinds of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan.
How To Make Baked Ziti With No Meat
This easy baked ziti recipe is made with simple ingredients that are easy to find, and will give you lots of leftovers!
Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Equipment you’ll need
- Saucepan (2 quarts)
- 13 x 9 inch baking dish
Ingredients you’ll need
- Ziti pasta – I used dried ziti noodles and boiled them in a large pot of salted water until barely al dente.
- Kosher salt – This is used in the pasta water and the filling for flavor.
- Ricotta cheese – I use whole milk ricotta, but you can use part skim or even cottage cheese if you prefer.
- Mozzarella cheese – Use the full fat variety for better melting and more flavor. Mozzarella is added to the ricotta filling and on top of the pasta bake.
- Grated parmesan cheese – The parmesan adds a nutty and salty flavor.
- Egg – For holding the ricotta filling together.
- Italian seasoning – For extra flavor. You can use storebought or make your own.
- Prepared marinara or pasta sauce – use your favorite flavor or if you have a delicious homemade marinara sauce, definitely use that!
- Onions and garlic – These are optional, but they help make the jarred tomato sauce taste fresher.
- Olive oil
- Black pepper
Instructions
Add 1 tablespoon of salt to a large pot of water (4 quarts or larger) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the dried ziti and cook for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions call for “al dente”. While the pasta cooks, prepare your ricotta cheese mixture.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of parmesan, the egg, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the black pepper.
Stir until smooth and set the ricotta mixture aside.
Once the pasta has cooked, drain the noodles and set aside while you heat up the sauce.
In a 2 quart saucepan or a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook the onions until soft, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the garlic and remaining Italian seasoning and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour the marinara sauce over the cooked onions and heat until bubbling, stirring occasionally. Once bubbling, turn the heat down to low and keep warm.
To assemble, spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
Spoon 1 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. This will help prevent sticking later.
Add half the cooked pasta to the baking dish.
Spoon all of the ricotta mixture over the ziti and gently spread it into an even layer.
Spoon 1/2 of the sauce over the ricotta and noodles and spread evenly.
Add the rest of the ziti.
Then top with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle the top of the sauce layer with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
Finish with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella.
Bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 375F degrees for 35-45 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling in the corners.
Remove the ziti bake from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil and additional parmesan cheese.
Variations And Substitutions
- Whole milk ricotta can be swapped with skim milk ricotta or cottage cheese.
- Feel free to leave out the onions and garlic added to the pasta sauce.
- Penne pasta works well as a substitute for ziti. Feel free to use gluten-free or whole wheat pasta as well!
- Add fresh spinach or fresh herbs to the ricotta cheese mixture or tomato sauce for more flavor and added veggies.
- Instead of red sauce, use a white sauce or your favorite alfredo sauce. Top with pecorino romano cheese and mozzarella for extra cheesiness!
Tips For The Best Meatless Baked Ziti
- Cook the pasta a little bit under al dente. I shave off 1-2 minutes from the lowest recommended cooking time listed on the box. This will keep the pasta from getting mushy during baking.
- For best results, assemble the baked ziti while the sauce and pasta are still hot. This helps to cut down on cooking time.
- If the cheese is browning too quickly, loosely cover the top of the baking dish with aluminum foil and continue baking until bubbling.
- Allow the ziti to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. This will make serving easier.
Storage
Allow the baked ziti to cool to room temperature and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating Baked Ziti: Transfer individual portions to a microwave safe dish and reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Serve with additional sauce if ziti is dry.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow all the steps listed above just, but instead of baking, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F degrees and loosely cover the pan with foil. Bake the ziti for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking until golden brown and bubbly, about 15-20 more minutes.
Freezing Instructions
Baked ziti is a great freezer meal to have on hand for an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love.
Prepare the ingredients and layer as per the instructions, but leave off the shredded mozzarella topping. Double wrap your baking dish in plastic wrap and then in a layer of foil. Store in the freezer for up to a month.
When you’re ready to bake, allow the pasta to thaw in the fridge overnight. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees, and top the pasta bake with mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and finish baking until golden brown and bubbly.
*You can freeze this baked pasta dish in a single 13 x 9 inch pan or two 8 x 8 inch pans.
FAQs
You can serve a simple side salad, garlic bread (try my garlic crostini), or a fresh mozzarella and tomato salad on the side.
Add enough sauce and cheese to the layers. During the baking process, the ziti will absorb moisture from the other ingredients in the dish. Making sure there is a generous amount of sauce and cheese in each layer will ensure there’s enough moisture for the pasta to absorb and keep the pasta bake moist.
I do not cover baked ziti if I’m prepping and baking the ingredients same day. The pasta and sauce are still hot during assembly, so the pasta is done baking at the same time the cheese is browned. But if the baked ziti is cold when it goes into the oven, cover the dish with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking and then remove it to brown the cheese.
The noodles are the biggest difference. Ziti is a tube shaped pasta and lasagna noodles are thin and flat. Both dishes are layered with ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and sauce, but lasagna is sliceable and keeps its shape, while baked ziti is a looser dish.
If you make this recipe, give it a 5 STAR Rating and Leave a Comment!
More Easy Recipes You’ll Love
Meatless Baked Ziti With Ricotta and Mozzarella
Delicious Meatless Baked Ziti layered with a flavorful ricotta cheese mixture and red tomato sauce. Topped with mozzarella and baked to perfection, this dish will become a new family favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 box (16 oz) dried ziti pasta
- 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup of diced white onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 cups (32 oz) prepared marinara sauce
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt to a boil. Add the ziti and cook for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions call for "al dente". While the pasta cooks, make the ricotta cheese mixture.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of parmesan, the egg, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the black pepper. Stir until smooth and set the ricotta mixture aside.
- Once the pasta has cooked, drain the noodles and set aside.
- In a 2 quart saucepan or a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and cook the onions until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and remaining Italian seasoning and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour the marinara sauce over the onions and garlic and heat until bubbling, stirring occasionally. Once bubbling, turn the heat down to low and keep warm.
- To assemble the baked ziti, spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
- Spread 1 cup of the warm tomato sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Add half the cooked ziti to the dish.
- Spoon all of the ricotta mixture over the ziti and gently spread it into an even layer.
- Spoon 1/2 of the sauce over the ricotta and noodles and spread evenly.
- Add the rest of the cooked pasta and then top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the top of the sauce layer with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and 2 cups of shredded mozzarella.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375F degrees for 35-45 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling in the corners.
- Remove the ziti bake from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with additional sauce and grated parmesan.
Notes
*This recipe can be doubled or divided in half between two 8x8" pans. One for baking now and one for freezing!
**If you're making this ahead and then baking it cold from the fridge, cover the baking dish with foil for the first 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 310Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 830mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 18g
