Description
This amazing baked ziti recipe is lightened up with roasted vegetables. Golden mozzarella, sizzling red sauce, and tender pasta make this vegetarian ziti super delicious!
Ingredients
Roasted Veggies:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1″ squares
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into wedges about ½″ wide
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, divided
Pasta and Everything Else:
- 8 ounces ziti, rigatoni, or penne pasta
- 4 cups (32 ounces) marinara sauce, divided
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
- 8 ounces (2 packed cups) grated part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 cups (16 ounces) cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, divided
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with racks in the middle and upper third. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place the cauliflower on one pan, and the bell pepper and onion on the other. Drizzle each pan with half the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat.
3. Arrange vegetables in an even layer and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing and rotating pans halfway through. Remove any burnt pieces. Set vegetables aside. Leave the oven on.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta just until al dente. Drain and return to pot.
5. Add 2 cups marinara, chopped basil, and ½ cup mozzarella to the pasta. Stir gently to combine.
6. Spread 1 cup marinara sauce in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Top with half the pasta mixture and spread evenly.
7. Sprinkle roasted cauliflower on top, then dollop 1 cup cottage cheese, followed by ½ cup mozzarella.
8. Top with remaining pasta. Sprinkle roasted peppers and onion, then dollop the remaining cottage cheese, remaining marinara, and top with remaining cheese.
9. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack. Place the ziti on top and bake for 30 minutes, then move to upper rack for 2–5 minutes to brown the cheese.
10. Let the dish cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil, slice, and serve.
Notes
Make it gluten free by using a sturdy gluten-free pasta.
Roast vegetables up to 3 days ahead or assemble the full dish and refrigerate before baking.
You can likely freeze it before baking.
For a dairy-free version, substitute vegan sour cream for cottage cheese and omit mozzarella. Use extra tomato sauce for the top and serve with vegan pesto or sour cream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 35mg