Description
Hearty and flavorful Loaded Veggie Baked Ziti packed with colorful vegetables and rich cheeses. This comfort food pasta bake is a perfect family friendly pasta bake and easy vegetarian dinner idea for any weeknight.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 48 ounces marinara sauce
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bell peppers assorted colors chopped
- 2 medium zucchini chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 5 ounces fresh spinach roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook ziti pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until translucent.
- Add garlic and bell peppers and cook until slightly softened.
- Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook until tender and browned.
- Stir in spinach until wilted. Season with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Pour marinara sauce into the skillet and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Combine cooked pasta with three-quarters of the vegetable sauce.
- Spread half of the pasta mixture in the baking dish. Dollop ricotta over it and sprinkle half of mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Top with remaining pasta mixture, spread remaining ricotta, then sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20-25 minutes more until cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the pasta, cook it al dente as it will continue cooking in the oven
- Full-fat ricotta provides the best flavor and consistency
- Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella is recommended for baking
- Cook vegetables long enough to release their moisture to prevent watery baked ziti
- For make-ahead: Assemble completely and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking
- To freeze: Cool completely, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil
- Freeze for up to 2-3 months
- Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner, Main Course
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 480