Easy Vegetarian Baked Ziti Recipe (Veggie-Packed!) (2024)

This vegetable packed vegetarian baked ziti recipe is the ultimate weeknight dinner. With sautéed veggies and spinach ricotta, it’s a healthy comfort food you’ll feel good about diving into. It makes six large portions and is great for making in advance, see notes below!

There’s nothing I love more than closing a productive day of work with a warm, hearty comfort dish. And let me tell you, this vegetable baked ziti does the trick.

It’s cheesy, savory, and very filling, but it doesn’t feel heavy in the stomach. Which is probably due to the generous amount of veggies that are included! This easy meatless baked ziti is filled with a delicious combination of zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, white onion, marinara, and so much more. Plus, packed with ricotta, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese, it’s a cheesy dish that everyone will love.

What is ziti?

Baked ziti is like lasagna’s laid back sister. No fussing with perfectly fitting the noodles or cooking the bechamel. Just stir everything together, layer it up, and bake. 💪🏼

It’s the kind of dinner you can throw in a bowl and cozy up on the couch with. Or slowly pick at all week long. Or impress your dinner guests with. This baked ziti is whatever you need it to be.

Here’s what you’ll need

This healthy baked ziti is made with three main components: the pasta, the sauce, and the ricotta mixture. Let’s dive into each and talk about what’s included!

For The Pasta

As far as the pasta goes, there’s a lot of wiggle room. Sure, baked ziti technically uses ziti noodles, but using a different shape won’t totally mess up your recipe. If you can’t find ziti noodles, try a different type of pasta like penne or rigatoni! You can also use a gluten free pasta here to make this a gluten-free backed ziti.

For The Sauce

Next up, we have the sauce. It comes as a surprise to some, but the sauce is the most important part of Italian pasta dishes like this ziti! It carries all the flavor (and nutrition) of the dish.

For this sauce, we’re using zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, white onion, garlic, olive oil, oregano, basil and salt. As you can see, this is truly a veggie-packed dish! Feel free to add or omit different veggies depending on what you have on hand. Mini peppers, red onion, mushrooms, etc. will all work well!

Mix those the vegetables and spices with some marinara, and you have a delicious sauce on your hands. If you want to go full homemade on this dish and need a good marinara recipe, try out my Fresh Tomato Marinara (perfect for using up fresh tomatoes), this Roasted Tomato Sauce, or this creamy Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce!

For The Ricotta Mixture

Finally, it’s time for the ricotta! This portion of the recipe will include ricotta, frozen spinach (thawed), and parmesan. It’s a delicious blend that gives the ziti its familiar thick and cheesy texture. (While I prefer bechamel sauce on lasagna, ricotta works better for baked ziti – and it’s easier! Learn how to make ricotta in the microwave in just 5 minutes or check out these ricotta substitutes if you don’t have any.)

In addition to the ricotta mixture, we’ll also be using an easy parmesan and mozzarella blend to sprinkle in the middle and on top (hellooooo cheese).

How to make vegetarian baked ziti

This meal requires 30 minutes of prep time as well as 30 minutes of baking time. In just an hour, you have a warm, bubbling tray of delicious vegetable filled baked ziti! Once you have each of the four components prepped, you’ll just layer them:

1. Half of the veggie sauce
2. Half of the cooked pasta
3. Half of the ricotta mixture
4. Half of the cheese

Then repeat! Be sure to use your biggest casserole dish for this one, it’s a lot of food!

Baked ziti pro tips

Check out these tips and tricks to learn how to make the perfect moist baked ziti, prepare the dish for the future, or store your leftovers!

Layer as directed

Be sure to layer your ziti as directed in the instructions. The layers go in a specific order that allow the dish cook to perfection!

How to keep your ziti extra moist

If you find that your meatless baked ziti turned out to be too dry, there are a few things you can do to prevent this the next time. First, be sure that you’re using the amount of sauce as called for in the recipe. Too little sauce can make for a dry bake.

Second, feel free to try the foil method. Place a layer of greased (use cooking spray) aluminum foil over the top of your bake, oiled side down. This helps lock in moisture as it cooks. Remove the foil about 10 minutes before the bake comes out of the oven to allow the cheese to brown up.

How to make ziti ahead of time

You can make this baked pasta dish ahead of time and have it ready to pop in the oven 30 minutes before it’s time to eat. Feel free to prepare and assemble your ziti, wrap or cover it, and then stick it in the refrigerator overnight to serve the next day. When ready to cook, remove from the fridge, remove the wrap, and bake as directed.

You can also freeze prepared ziti for up to a month. When ready to cook, allow the ziti to thaw, and then bake as directed.

How to store leftovers

Store any extra ziti in the refrigerator. Keep it in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.

Sides great for pairing with baked ziti

While your ziti bakes to golden, gooey perfection, whip up a side or two to accompany it! Here are a few Italian and Mediterranean inspired sides to serve alongside:

• Roasted Asparagus with Romesco Sauce
• Quinoa Kale Salad
• Vegetarian Caesar Salad
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
• Vegan Garlic Bread

Looking for another vegetarian pasta classic? Try this Vegetarian Spaghetti Carbonara!