Description
A comforting and flavorful baked pasta dish filled with layers of roasted veggies, ricotta, and gooey mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound Ziti Pasta
- 48 ounces Marinara Sauce
- 15 ounces Ricotta Cheese
- 16 ounces Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- ½ 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
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and gather all ingredients.
- Prepare ricotta mixture by combining ricotta, egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil and sauté onion for 6-8 minutes, add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Add tomato paste to onion and garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes, then add crushed and diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, seasoning, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Sauté bell peppers in a skillet for 5-7 minutes and add to a bowl.
- Sauté mushrooms in the same skillet until tender, then add to the bell peppers.
- Sauté zucchini for 3-4 minutes and add spinach until wilted, then combine with other vegetables.
- Cook ziti pasta according to package instructions, drain and return to pot.
- Add tomato sauce to pasta and mix.
- In a greased baking dish, layer 1.5 cups of sauce, half of the ziti, half of the ricotta mixture, sautéed vegetables, and mozzarella.
- Repeat layers, finishing with a topping of mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Let rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
To keep the dish moist, stir a cup of marinara into the drained pasta before layering. You can also assemble the dish a day ahead and bake it fresh for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
Keywords: baked ziti, vegetarian pasta, comfort food, meal prep, Italian cuisine