Easy Veggie-Packed Meatless Baked Ziti

Looking for a hearty and filling meatless meal that’s veggie-packed and delicious? This Loaded Meatless Baked Ziti is a cheesy, warm, comfort food dish that is sure to satisfy the whole family!

Packed with delicious sauteed vegetables, flavorful tomato-based sauce, and creamy ricotta and then topped with a thick layer of gooey, melty cheese, this meatless baked pasta dish recipe is the key to a wholesome dinner.

Let me tell you, between this and my Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake, I’ve got cheesy carbs with red sauce covered! They’re the only two recipes you need for a meatless comfort meal.

Plus, as a mom balancing family life and a cultivated taste for food, I sincerely love a dish that feeds a lot (and often yields leftovers), is easy to make, and comes together in less than an hour.

Meatless Baked Ziti Ingredients

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Here’s everything you need:

• Onion. For a boost of flavor and texture in your dish.
• Mushrooms. I love mushrooms but if you’re not a fan, you can easily sub in another vegetable like peppers, eggplant, or even fresh tomatoes. You can also opt to leave them out altogether.
• Zucchini. Or yellow squash, butternut squash, or summer squash.
• Spinach. Or any other greens of choice.
• Garlic.
• Olive oil.
• Salt & pepper.
• Ziti. Really any other type of short pasta works in this dish, but ziti is classic!
• Marinara Sauce. Or spaghetti sauce. Any seasoned and jarred tomato-based sauce will do.
• Ricotta.
• Shredded cheese. Arguably the very best part.

Meatless Baked Ziti Tips and Tricks

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Cook Your Pasta First

Cook your ziti al dente according to the directions on the box. Make sure to not overcook the pasta. If anything, cook it for one less minute than you typically do, to leave some room for it to cook a little bit more in the oven.

Prep Your Veggies

Meanwhile, get going on your sauce. The first step to making your delicious, veggie-packed sauce is to prep your zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. We will keep the spinach whole.

Clean your zucchini and dice it into small chunks, roughly equal in size. I like to keep my zucchini chunks about 1/2 inch wide—the smaller the better.

Peel and mince your garlic, peel and dice your onions, and slice your mushrooms. For detailed instructions on how to dice your onions and slice your mushrooms, check out these directions for caramelized onions and mushrooms.

Cook them Down

Then, add the veggies to a large saucepan or pot with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10-15 minutes to release the excess juice from the vegetables.

The less liquid, the better so you have a nice thick sauce for your baked ziti. This particular baked ziti recipe does not include an egg, because this process of releasing the liquid first makes it unnecessary.

Cook Down Your Sauce

We also want to release any excess liquid from the sauce. Once you’ve cooked down your veggies, add your marinara or spaghetti sauce to them, cooking for another couple of minutes.

Make sure to stir frequently to avoid sauce splatter and help release the steam.

Add the Ricotta

Once your sauce starts to thicken, you can remove it from the heat. Add your ricotta and stir to combine. Ricotta is such a delicious addition to any pasta, and is one of my favorite ingredients for appetizers, like in this Whipped Ricotta Crostini.

You should now have a thick, cheesy, vegetable-packed sauce for your meatless baked ziti.

Coat the Pasta

Add the cooked and drained pasta to the sauce and stir, ensuring that the noodles are evenly coated.

I find it much easier to stir the pasta in the sauce in the saucepan rather than trying to stir them together in the casserole dish.

Transfer Your Ziti

Once your ziti is coated in sauce, transfer it to a large 9x 13-inch casserole dish. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to spread out the pasta so that it is evenly distributed throughout your dish.

Add a Top Layer of Cheese

Use the shredded cheese blend to form a thick top layer of cheese on your casserole. This will form a gooey golden brown exterior that is arguably the best part of this dish.

But the cheesy top layer also serves a second purpose. As the cheese melts, it forms a solid top layer, trapping in heat and moisture, making for the best-textured baked ziti.

Bake it!

Bake until the edges of the cheesy top layer start to bubble and brown. This will usually take about 25-30 minutes at 400°F on the top rack of the oven.

How to Properly Store and Reheat Leftover Vegetarian Baked Ziti

This meatless baked ziti is equally delicious as leftovers! This dish will last 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The best way to reheat baked ziti is to cover it with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until heated thoroughly.

For a quicker fix, cover with saran wrap or a microwave-safe cover and microwave on high in 45-second intervals until hot all the way to the center.

Eggs in Baked Ziti

Often, recipes for baked ziti and lasagna call for an egg to be mixed into the ricotta cheese to help bind the cheese together and avoid a runny dish.

However, if you pre-cook your veggies to reduce their water content, the egg is unnecessary. You can avoid a runny pasta dish by releasing the liquids from the veggies before you put your dish in the oven.

How to Keep Baked Ziti from Drying Out

In this baked ziti, we add a thick layer of cheese on top to lock in moisture. The cheese melts and creates a top layer that almost acts as a cover to trap moisture and ensure a deliciously moist pasta bake.

Why You Should Make this Meatless Baked Ziti

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• It’s hearty. Between the filling pasta and all the vegetables in this dish, you’ll feel full and satisfied.
• It’s packed with veggies. Extra nutrients and added flavor! Plus, this dish is a great way to sneak in extra vegetables into your diet, especially if you’re not a veggie lover!
• The cheesiness! Between the creamy ricotta on the inside and the layer of melted cheese on top, this recipe is a cheese lovers’ dream!