This classic Meatless Baked Ziti casserole is made with marinara sauce and 3 types of cheeses (Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozzarella). The recipe is so easy to put together and will be perfect to feed a big family.
If you are looking for a delicious comforting meal that’s easy to make, try this amazing Meatless Baked Ziti! The pasta is coated with creamy tomato sauce and layered with delicious melted cheese.
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make. This recipe is so easy to assemble and only requires 5 ingredients.
- Comfort and flavor. If you are craving a comfort meal that’s packed with flavor, this recipe will be perfect for you!
- Meal prep. You can refrigerate this dish and reheat smaller portions during the week or just freeze it for the future.
Ingredients and Substitution
- Pasta. While this recipe is called “baked ziti”, you can easily use other varieties of pasta, like penne, rigatoni, fusilli, etc.
- Marinara sauce. You can buy a premade one in a jar or make a homemade Marinara sauce from scratch.
- Ricotta cheese. The best one to use is the one that’s made with whole milk. It will provide more creaminess to the dish.
- Parmesan cheese. I always suggest to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, as it has a lot more flavor and melts better.
- Mozzarella cheese. Similar to Parmesan cheese, I always buy a block of mozzarella cheese and grate it myself. When it melts, it has a nice smooth texture and better flavor.
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Bring a pot of water to boil, season generously with salt, and cook the pasta until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, reheat the marinara sauce over medium heat in a sauce pan or a skillet. When starts to simmer, turn off the heat and add 2 cups ricotta cheese. Stir well and set aside.
When the pasta is cooked, drain the liquid. Mix the pasta with the mixed marinara sauce and ricotta cheese until the pasta is well coated.
Then transfer half of the mixture to a large baking dish, sprinkle over half of the shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Top it with the rest of the pasta, and top with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
How to store
- How to refrigerate. You can refrigerate the leftovers in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
- How to reheat. The best way to reheat it is in the preheated 350F oven for about 20-30 minutes.
- How to freeze. Freeze it in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. To defrost, just leave in the fridge overnight and then reheat according to the instructions above.
How to serve
- Serve it with meat. Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs, Cast Iron Chicken Breast, Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast, Instant Pot Lamb Shanks, Baked Chicken Cutlets, Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken.
- Serve with vegetables. Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Green Bean Almondine, Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan.
- Serve with salad. Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad, Farro Arugula Salad.
- Serve with bread. Potato Dinner Rolls, Easy Dinner Rolls.
Tip for best results
- Cheese. For Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, I always suggest to buy it in a block and grate it yourself at home with a cheese grater. They will have a lot more flavor and less artificial fillers in the cheese.
- Pasta. While this recipe is called “Baked Ziti”, you can use any medium size pasta, like rotini, rigatoni, penne, fusilli, etc.
- Add a hint of spice. If you like your pasta to be a bit spicy, you can add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to the marinara sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can easily add any vegetables or mushrooms to the dish. Check out my Vegetable Pasta Bake recipe for an example.
Absolutely! You can add some ground beef, turkey, or chicken to the sauce.
Hungry for more Pasta?
- Creamy Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Tomato Chicken Pasta Bake
- Short Rib Parppardelle
- Creamy Vegetable Pasta
- Pink Sauce Pasta
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Tortellini with Meat Sauce
- Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe
- Chicken Broccoli Ziti
Meatless Baked Ziti with Ricotta
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried pasta
- 32 ounces marinara sauce
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Bring a pot of water to boil, season generously with salt, and cook the pasta until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, reheat the marinara sauce over medium heat in a sauce pan or a skillet. When starts to simmer, turn off the heat and add 2 cups ricotta cheese. Stir well and set aside.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain the liquid. Mix the pasta with the mixed marinara sauce and ricotta cheese until the pasta is well coated.
- Transfer half of the mixture to a large baking dish, sprinkle over half of the shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Top it with the rest of the pasta, and top with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Notes
- Cheese. For Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, I always suggest to buy it in a block and grate it yourself at home with a cheese grater. They will have a lot more flavor and less artificial fillers in the cheese.
- Pasta. While this recipe is called “Baked Ziti”, you can use any medium size pasta, like rotini, rigatoni, penne, fusilli, etc.
- Add a hint of spice. If you like your pasta to be a bit spicy, you can add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to the marinara sauce.
- How to refrigerate. You can refrigerate the leftovers in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
- How to reheat. The best way to reheat it is in the preheated 350F oven for about 20-30 minutes.
- How to freeze. Freeze it in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. To defrost, just leave in the fridge overnight and then reheat according to the instructions above.
Pasta is my favorite food and I make this classic dish for my family all the time. This dish never gets old in our house!
I made these baked ziti for dinner today and we all love them. I think I do have a new staple in my kitchen. Thanks for the recipe and the inspiration.
I love a good pasta bake and this was one of the easiest ones I’ve ever tried! We really loved the three-cheese combo here. I wouldn’t normally think to add ricotta but it worked so well with the other two cheeses!
This was a delicious meatless meal! I made this for dinner yesterday and everyone loved it! No leftovers!
I’m so impressed with how easy this is! Such a fabulous meatless variation…with how cheesy and creamy it is the meat isn’t even missed! Perfect family meal 🙂
This has been our new dinner go to! So delicious, comforting and easy to make. Love making extra to have for leftovers!
I loved how this was a wonderful vegetarian option for me to bring for my vegetarian friends.
This baked ziti is the ultimate comfort meal. With all that cheese we didn’t even miss the meat. The recipe made enough for the four of us plus lunch leftovers for the next day.
Ziti has to be my favorite pasta dish and this recipe was perfect for my family’s Meatless Monday meal. Thank you for a new favorite.
I love baked ziti and I’m happy to say that your recipe is so close to my mother’s that it’s like visiting her when I make it! Thanks for the awesome recipe.