Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
This amazing baked ziti recipe is lightened up with roasted vegetables. Golden mozzarella, sizzling red sauce and pasta make this vegetarian ziti delicious!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Here she is, the lightened-up baked ziti of my dreams. This baked ziti has all of lasagna’s saucy, mozzarella-topped appeal, but is easier to pull off on a regular weeknight. Amen.
When I dreamed up this recipe, I wanted to replace some of the pasta with roasted vegetables. In the end, I was able to displace half of the ziti (8 ounces) with two pounds (32 ounces!) of vegetables.
I chose cauliflower, which develops the most irresistible golden edges as it roasts, red bell pepper and yellow onion. I love this combination, but you could easily use your favorite vegetables here.
It took me a while to find the perfect ratio of mozzarella, marinara, and ricotta (I actually used cottage cheese, more on that in a bit). I believe I’ve hit the nail on the head with the final recipe, and can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you.
The Best Baked Ziti
This baked ziti recipe is so versatile. Here are a few more reasons to love it:
- This vegetarian baked ziti will satisfy everyone. True, it’s meatless, but carnivores love ziti without the meat when it tastes this good.
- This baked ziti would be a great option for a date night or casual entertaining. You’ll have plenty of time between steps to chat and sip wine.
- It’s a quiet recipe to make, too. You don’t have to sauté anything! I feel like this is an underrated recipe quality.
- This ziti can be assembled up to 3 days in advance, so this is a perfect dish to make ahead or bring to a friend who could use a good meal.
- This lightened-up classic Italian dish is surprisingly high in protein. Each serving offers twenty grams!
- This ziti would be awesome with my chopped Italian salad. Feel free to make a simplified version of it.
Watch How to Make Baked Ziti
Baked Ziti Ingredient Notes
This recipe doesn’t require a long list of ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
Pasta
Preferably ziti, but rigatoni or penne will also work. I usually opt for whole wheat noodles (love DeLallo and Bionaturae), but those have been harder to come by lately, so I used Whole Foods’ organic ziti for these pictures. Pasta is generally sold in one-pound boxes so you’ll need half of a box.
I believe you could use a sturdy corn and quinoa pasta blend to make this recipe gluten free.
Marinara
I’m a huge fan of my homemade marinara recipe, but since this recipe is supposed to be simple, I opted for a jarred option from the store. My favorite brand is Rao’s, which tastes pretty close to my homemade sauce. If you do want to make homemade marinara, you’ll need to double my recipe to yield the four cups you’ll need for this ziti.
Vegetables
I used cauliflower, bell pepper and onion. If you’re sensitive to onions, you might want to swap the onion for something else (maybe a sweet potato?).
You can use up your leftover vegetables in this ziti recipe. You’ll need about two pounds prepared vegetables to make it work. Keep in mind that heads of broccoli or cauliflower weigh twice as much as they yield in florets (so a two-pound bunch of broccoli will yield about one pound of florets).
Fresh Basil
Now, you could skip the basil, but it adds a lot of irresistible fresh flavor to jarred marinara, and livens up the cheesy finished dish. In my opinion, it is worth buying!
Mozzarella
Part-skim mozzarella is ideal here, since it develops a beautiful golden shade in the oven. It also makes your finished dish less greasy than it would be if you used full-fat mozzarella.
It’s best to grate your cheese yourself, rather than to buy the pre-shredded kind (you’ll also save money this way). Pre-grated cheese is typically coated in starch or powder that can inhibit its melty factor.
Cottage Cheese (or Ricotta)
Scandalous, I know! I genuinely prefer cottage cheese to ricotta here, even though I can’t stand cottage cheese on its own. Ricotta tends to get gummy when heated, which bothers me, whereas cottage cheese turns magically more creamy and delicious. Use whichever one you prefer in lasagna recipes.
A Few Tips Before You Get Started
Use half-sheet pans. If only everyone owned these basic half-sheet pans (affiliate link). They offer a lot of surface area, so your vegetables have some breathing room while they roast.
Be sure to use a big baker. You’ll need a three quart baker (think 9×13″ with deep sides) for this one. Here’s mine. To err on the side of caution against overflow, I’ve instructed you to place the baker on a clean rimmed baking sheet when it’s in the oven.
Don’t overcook your pasta. In fact, you want it a little bit undercooked, so cook it for the shortest amount of time offered on the package. It should still have a little bite to it when you drain it, since it will continue to cook while it’s in the oven.
Please let me know how this baked ziti recipe turns out for you in the comments! I hope you love it as much as I do.
Craving more Italian comfort food? Don’t miss these recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Best Vegetable Lasagna
- Baked Ziti with Lentils
- Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils and Marinara Sauce
- Classic Minestrone Soup
Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
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! Recipe yields 8 servings.
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 (homemade or store-bought), 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
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To roast the veggies: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the vegetables from sticking.
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Place the cauliflower florets on one pan. On the other pan, combine the bell peppers and onion. Drizzle half of the olive oil over one pan, and the other half over the other pan. Sprinkle the salt over the two pans. Gently toss until the vegetables on each pan are lightly coated in oil.
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Arrange the vegetables in an even layer across each pan. Bake until the vegetables are tender and caramelized on the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes, tossing the veggies and swapping their rack positions halfway (lower rack to upper rack, and vice versa). Leave the oven on at 425, because we’re going to bake the dish at the same temperature. If you end up with any stray burnt onion pieces, discard them, and set the vegetables aside.
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Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta just until al dente, according to package directions (it will continue to cook while it bakes in the oven, so you want the pasta to still have a little bite to it). Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
- Add 2 cups of the marinara, the chopped basil, and ½ cup of the mozzarella to the pasta. Gently stir to combine.
- It’s assembly time! Spread 1 cup of additional marinara sauce inside a 9 by 13-inch baker. Top with half of the pasta mixture, and gently spread it into an even layer. Evenly sprinkle the roasted cauliflower on top, then dollop 1 cup of the cottage cheese over the cauliflower (it doesn’t need to be spread into an even layer), followed by ½ cup of the mozzarella.
- Top the mozzarella with the remaining pasta. Then sprinkle the roasted peppers and onion on top, dollop the remaining cup of ricotta on top, then dollop the remaining cup of marinara on that, then sprinkle the remaining cheese all over.
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Place a clean, rimmed baking sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any drippings. Place the ziti, uncovered, on top of the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then transfer to the upper rack for 2 to 5 more minutes until the cheese is deeply golden, if desired.
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Remove the baker from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving (trust me). Sprinkle freshly torn basil on top, slice with a sharp knife, and serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my lentil baked ziti and Allison Roman’s baked ziti.
Make it gluten free: Substitute sturdy gluten-free pasta (such as a corn and quinoa blend).
Advance preparation: You could roast the vegetables up to 3 days in advance. You can also go ahead and assemble the whole thing and refrigerate until baking. It’s probably a good candidate for freezing before baking, too. Please let me know if you try.
Dairy free/vegan note: I’m not sure if this recipe is a good candidate to make vegan, since the cheese offers both volume and structure. My best guess would be to double the recipe for my vegan sour cream (also available in my cookbook, page 217) and use 2 cups instead of the cottage cheese. Omit the mozzarella and use all of the tomato sauce for the final layer. Serve the lasagna with a dollop of additional sour cream on top or, better yet, basil pesto.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Lovely recipe, husband enthusiastic. Thank you. I made a few mods: used nearly 2 jars of bottled marinara, one spicy, one not (the spicy really added something). Added a chopped zucchini to the onion-pepper mix. Sprinkled a little extra salt and sone shredded parmesan on top at end. Just unusually tasty for a non-meat dish and quite forgiving of mods.
Sounds great! Thank you for sharing your variation, Diana.
…and it freezes well, too! ☺️
I made this and it was delicious and super easy. I sautéed some spinach and added that to it and also a clove of garlic. I used part skim ricotta. In my 9×13 deep pan I was able to get 15 pieces for 159 calories a piece.
Another winner!
I used a combo of veggies I had on hand – onion, red bell pepper, eggplant, cauliflower, carrot (worked surprisingly well!) and baby bell mushrooms. I loved the method you used with the Best Veggie Lasagna to whip up the cottage cheese in a food processor to smooth it out, so I did that here and added most of the basil right in with the cottage cheese — making delicious dollops of herbed cheese.
Thanks for the great recipe :)
Thank you for sharing!
Simply Delicious! And I mean-this is sooo Simple to make. Have made it twice in the last 60 days. First attempt was at my first soirée in my new home and it was a Big Hit. Accompanied with fresh garlic bread and a light salad. Dessert was a Lemmon Ricotta pound cake…yummy
(As I write this I am finishing a bowl of your totally delicious apple crisp recipe that I’ve made about 20ish times!!)
Thanks for sharing, Amanda!
I did freeze this and that worked out great!
Thank you for sharing, Peggy! I’m happy it worked for you. Did it seem watery at all when thawed?
I tried the vegan option, and it tasted great. The only other change I made was to swap out the cauliflower for zucchini.
That’s great! Thanks for sharing, Eileen.
I made this for a New Year’s Day gathering with eggplant, red pepper, and parsnip. It was very tasty and popular! The cottage cheese made it so creamy, and pleased my spouse, who doesn’t care door ricotta. I’ll definitely make it again.
Wonderful, Suzanne!
Really really good. I added squash and 1/2 an eggplant because I had them.
Thank you for sharing, Jessica!
I made this for a few friends and found it to be a fabulous combination of flavors and textures. It was a hit – they kept going back to the pan for more. I roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, zucchini, and onions, used gluten free penne, and otherwise followed the recipe, using an organic Trader Joe’s marinara sauce. I loved the flavor of the fresh basil. Delicious! I will definitely make this again.
Hooray! I like the combination of vegetables, Julie. Thanks so much for your review.
This is ridiculously good and no surprise, your recipes have become my go to! Instead of just doing cauliflower I made that pan half cauliflower and half broccoli, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Comfort food I feel good about eating!
Thank you, Anna!
I made this for an immediate family gathering. It was good. My frustration with recipe is that it is hard to know from terms like medium onion, medium cauliflower, medium red pepper how much we need for recipe. I wish for more precise measurements in grams or ounces. I probably could have used more cauliflower and red peppers since my idea of medium is probably different from yours. I’ll make recipe again but I will use more veggies next time.
Hi Dan! Thank you for your feedback. I try to provide that when it makes sense. Since some of these inputs can vary so much, I try and keep it to size. I.e. head of cauliflower stalk weight Does that make sense? You could always add more as long as it fits in your casserole dish, if you like!
Thanks for another amazing recipe. I made it exactly as you suggested, but was bit short on the cauliflower the first time as it was starting to turn. Not to be deterred, I made it a second time (in a week!) and with more cauliflower, and it was even better. On a side note, I used your recipe for marinara sauce (so simple) and might have been a bit short on that with all my “taste testing” – so delicious! The Hubby and 19 year old son both really enjoyed this dinner, too.
I love it! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Elizabeth. It’s hard to not eat that marinara by the spoonful for sure.
I made this for my family and we all loved it. My 1.5 year old was thrilled and my husband kept saying how delicious it was. We’ll definitely be making this one again!
Great to hear, Jamie!
I’ve made this twice so far to rave reviews, even from meat eaters. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Kate!
I’ve made this a couple of times now and making it again this week for work lunches. So delicious, reheats perfectly and really well balanced nutritionally! Thanks Kate (and Cookie)! More healthy pasta bake recipes please :)
You’re welcome, Lucy!
I used lentil based ziti, broccoli, mushrooms, onion and spinach, and extra marinara sauce to make this my own. Love your layering technique. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you found a twist you could enjoy, Kevin.
Hi Kate,
Made this last night as directed and it was great! Used Gluten Free Penne and Primo Original Sauce. The extra fresh Basil made the flavours pop.
Enjoy your day!
Thank you for sharing, Elisa!
My husband and I loved this recipe! I also pan-roasted 8 oz. of sliced cremini mushrooms and added them at the same time with the veggies. All was so good and naturally perfect with a little garlic bread on the side.
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing, Dessa!
What a fun & delicious recipe. Will definitely make again! Thanks for the tip on low moisture mozzarella turning a beautiful brown! Spot on, will use it from now on!
Even though I screwed this recipe up, it still turned out delicious! I had the veggies roasting and the timer on for when they needed to come out. Then I put the pasta on to cook and made a mental note that it would need to cook five minutes more than the veggies. Then I got distracted by our cat trying to catch squirrels on the deck and the timer went off. I drained the pasta and mixed in sauce, basil and cheese only to realize that what I was supposed to do was take the vegetables out of the oven and cook the pasta five more minutes. I added some more sauce to the pasta and put the casserole together as directed, baked it ten minutes longer than called for and kept my fingers crossed. It was just fine. Thanks for a great, and seemingly foolproof recipe!
If I make your recommended marinara sauce, could I use the onion that is removed at the end in place of a roasted onion called for in the recipe? Just don’t want to discard the onion from the sauce and wondering of it could be put to use in the ziti recipe. Thanks!
You could try it, however it will have a different flavor and texture. Let me know!
Made this for a party last night. Used 500g ziti and pressed cottage cheese. Oh and I also made your marinara sauce for it the night before (doubled as you suggested). Oh boy did everyone love it! Even my husband who is Italian thought I used ricotta . Thank you Kate for another amazing recipe ♥️
this. was. delicious. and so simple!
I made your baked ziti with roasted vegetables last week, and it was a winner! My husband kept saying it was so good. I doubled the recipe except for the ricotta cheese. I roasted some baby portobello mushrooms too and added raw spinach to the cauliflower layer before baking, and it was delicious! I have made several of your recipes, and they have all turned out great. Thank you for posting healthy and delicious recipes- please keep them coming!
This was an awesome dinner! It felt indulgent but not heavy. My husband is a very picky eater and he loved it!
Another fantastic K+C recipe!
This was a winner and husband approved!! I used broccoli and Rao’s Arrabbiata sauce for a spicy kick. We loved this recipe.
This is my family’s favorite recipe. We crave it and my kids cheer when I make it. Plus it feeds us for a couple of days which is amazing!
I have made this recipe many times and, even with 5 stars, it ranks below the Penang curry recipe—our go-to recipe. At 82 I can no longer this one it in one standing. I roast the vegetables earlier and they sit until later I do to the rest of the recipe. At 92 this does not seem to change his love for it.
Thank you, Kate, for your blog. From French gourmet cooking, through all the steps to now high-plant-based, yours is a go-to for sure.
Thanks, Ruth
Mmm, this was just what I needed on a cold night! I have been craving pasta and this was delicious and filling without being heavy. You could easily change up the veggies but this was a good combination. I used cottage cheese and love it in pasta dishes as well. Thank you!
Made as the main dish hosting dinner with another couple and was really happy with the results.
Made with Fusilli instead of ziti, cottage cheese instead of ricotta , and TJs marinara sauce instead of homemade.
I’m glad you loved it, Tae! Thanks for sharing.
I made this dish vegan by using Kite Hill ricotta and Follow Your Heart mozzarella shreds. I do think it’s important to spread the ricotta as evenly as possible since there were several bites that were almost entirely ricotta.
I also used sliced mushrooms rather than cauliflower. I pulled the mushrooms out of the oven at the half way marker (i.e. 15 minutes) and they turned out perfectly tender when they were fully baked in the ziti.
I used spicy arrabbiata sauce instead of marinara for an extra bite. I like my dishes spicy so it could’ve even used some red chili pepper flakes, too.
Really solid recipe, easy to prepare (and prepare ahead), and reheats nicely in the microwave.
Thanks, Kate!
Tanks for sharing your variation, Nicole!
This dish is so unbelievably good. I’ve never left a comment on a recipe before, but felt compelled because it is just that tasty.
I followed the recipe exactly as written and used ricotta. After eating the whole thing in two days, I still want more. Can’t get enough, it is just that tasty
A “quiet” recipe!!! I love that. A total underrated component that we never discuss. Thank you! This will be my go to meal because I can talk on the phone while making it :)
Question, I have all the ingredients to make this except for the cottage cheese/ricotta as the stores are sold out. Could I use regular sour cream instead? Or am I better off just omitting?
Thanks!
Janell
Hi Janell! Groceries have been interesting recently, that’s for sure. I would just omit it. Or, you could try to make my cashew cream and try that instead. https://capital-fly.pro/best-vegan-lasagna-recipe%3C/a%3E It’s great in my vegan lasagna!
I just made this for my family, and everyone loved it! I personally added broccoli and after the dish was done cooking I drizzled some lime juice over it, and it made it even better! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Made it yesterday, so good. Just the aroma while it cooks was wonderful in itself.
I eliminated the red pepper, used a really large cauliflower b/c I love cauliflower. The roasted onion was a great addition. Managed to find basil but by time I was cooking, most of it had been left out too long, but recipe was great w/o it.
Only question: what if I leave out the ricotta next time. Loved the flavor but I’m a bit lactose intolerant. In fact, I use cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella, b/c that causes me some problems. The cheddar worked fine.
Hi! Thank you for your comment and review. You can leave it out if you like, although I much prefer it. You may be able to find a lactose free cottage cheese next time.
I originally made this recipe a couple months ago using cauliflower, zucchini, whole wheat penne, and Rao’s sauce (a favorite in our household). It was a huge hit. My toddler in particular gobbled it all up.
I made two trays and froze one, and wanted to report back since so many folks asked about whether it was possible to freeze. I did not bake the second tray before putting it in the freezer. Wrapped it well in foil and freezer bags. When I went to bake it yesterday, I put it straight from the freezer into a preheated oven. It took at least twice as long to cook through, about 60-70 minutes covered plus around 10 minutes uncovered at the end to brown the top. Tasted just as delicious as fresh!
Made this once and definitely will again. Will modify the veggies this time since we’re staying at home and I’ll use what I have, but used cauliflower, red bell, and onion, as you did. I’d never made baked ziti, and this was a great version.
I made a couple modifications because of what I had on hand. Used a 28oz can of plum tomatoes, and since that wasn’t enough liquid (I used 12oz pasta) I added half a jar of classico asiago Romano cheese sauce, and it was perfect. Added a little oregano, garlic, and hot pepper flakes. I always use cottage cheese in lasagna and did here.
I mixed in most of the mozz cubes, used some on top, and added Monterey jack and some cheddar to the top.
I roasted my veggies in a foil lined roasting pan, and just built the mixture in that pan, so I had no cleanup, essentially. Thanks for this. Hope you and yours are well.
The flavors are delicious, but the cauliflower turned out a little too soft for me. Next time, I will add double the pepper and broccoli. This is a nice dish for leftovers. Thanks for another lovely recipe!
So easy to customize. So comforting. A fabulous meal
Delicious and super easy, even for a cooking noob who’s never made a pasta bake before!
I’m happy you loved it and that it turned out well, Tylah!
Hey Kate, I’m hoping to try this recipe, it looks delicious. My partner and I don’t like a lot of cheese. If we were to reduce the amount of cheese, how could I adjust the portions without spoiling the taste. What could I do to make it less cheesy!!
Loved this!!! Was great to prep the day before and just throw in the oven after a late day at work. Thank you!!!
Made it yesterday for dinner and it was delicious! Definitely a keeper. I made a few changes though because I didn’t have everything on hand. I used only 2 cups marinara sauce, which was plenty I thought. I didn’t have mozzarella, so used some cheddar instead to sprinkle on top, and honestly I didn’t miss the mozzarella, the cottage cheese added plenty of cheesiness. And I also used zucchini and carrots in addition to the other veggies. This truly is a great recipe, thanks Kate!
Made the baked ziti with roasted veggies!!!
Was excellent!! Used fontina cheese in place of mozzarella. Added eggs, Parmesan, fresh parsley and garlic powder to ricotta cheese. Added mushrooms which sautéed with some garlic oil. Fresh basil really is needed as recommended. Was very moist and delicious! Used Rao’s marinara as well! Shared with others who thought died and went to heaven!! Thanks for this recipe!!!!
This is delicious! A lighter version of a family favorite.
Found this recipe and had to try it. It was amazing, I added mushrooms along with the cauliflower and onion / pepper. I had made your marinara recipe as well, adding red pepper flakes, dried parsley, more garlic and it was perfect! It got two very carnivorous men to go back for seconds. No small feat, will be making again. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing and for going all out with this one, Mollie! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Made this tonight and it was sooooo good! My husband said to add it to the list of his favorites . Kate, I live off of your cookbook and so happy I’ve discovered your website. I literally make at least one thing a week from the book. This week it’s 3 things!! Thank you so much for such yummy recipes. I love eating “real” food!
Thanks so much for this delicious recipe! I’ve always loved baked ziti but this is better since there’s no meat like the traditional ziti I was used to eating growing up. You don’t even miss the meat in this recipe! I did add a little more pasta than what it called for and found that the dish was still saucy and did not become dry. Has the same great taste as leftovers also!
You’re welcome, Liz! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I’ve made countless C&K recipes (all amazing) but this is my absolute favorite right now! 100% comforting without feeling guilty. I made using Banza penne-held up pretty well reheated the next day. I used one whole cauliflower, red bell pepper and subbed a bunch of chopped spinach for the onion. SO GOOD!