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Overhead image of a bowl of vegan baked ziti.

Cheesy Baked Ziti

Print Recipe
Italian food lovers, dive in! This vegan baked ziti, with its al dente noodles, savoury marinara sauce, and gooey vegan cheese, married together mouthful after mouthful, is comfort food at its best.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 335
Author Jessica Hylton

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ziti pasta 454g
  • 2 cups vegan ricotta cheese 480g
  • 2 24- ounce jars Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce 1.36kg
  • 2 cups shredded vegan mozzarella 200g
  • 9-12 ounces vegan meat alternative crumbles 255–340g
  • Basil for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted water. Drain the pasta.
  • Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23cm) pan, and set aside.
  • In a pan over medium heat, add both jars of Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce. Heat over medium heat for about 3–5 minutes, until heated through. Add the drained pasta and the vegan meat alternative crumbles, and stir to combine.
  • Add half of the pasta and sauce mix to your 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23cm) pan, spreading evenly across the bottom. Spoon over half of the ricotta, gently stirring it in so there’s still somewhat of a layer on top and half mixed in. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top. Add the other half of the pasta, dollop the ricotta on, mix in slightly, and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top.
  • Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15–20 minutes so everything comes together beautifully and the cheese melts. Top with basil, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

  • Salt the pasta water. Add some salt to the pasta water so the noodles don't come out bland.
  • Al dente pasta. Cook the ziti just to al dente. It will continue to soften in the sauce as it bakes.
  • Tent (if needed). If the pasta starts to brown up a bit before the baking time is up, you can loosely tent it with aluminium foil to keep it from burning.
  • Storage. Seal fully cooled leftover baked ziti in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge (if needed), then bake (covered) at 325°F (165°C) for 10 minutes to reheat. You can also microwave individual portions. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 978mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg