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An oval dish filled with baked rigatoni pasta and a cheesy browned topping garnished with fresh basil on a blue background.
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5 from 10 votes

Easy Meatless Baked Ziti

This meatless baked ziti is a yummy take on a cheesy baked ziti. It’s yummy, easy, versatile, freezable, and budget-friendly!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: mains
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Calories: 674kcal
Author: Mimi Harrison
Cost: £1.46

Ingredients

  • 2 aubergines, sliced into cubes (£0.85x2)=(£1.70)
  • 250 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced into quarters (£1.00)
  • 1 white onion, finely diced (£0.16)
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced (£0.39)
  • 800 g (2 tins) plum tomatoes (£0.32x2)=(£0.64)
  • 600 g rigatoni (£0.50)
  • 250 g whole milk ricotta cheese (£1.35)
  • 75 g parmesan, finely grated (£1.70/2)=(£0.85)
  • 250 g (2 balls) mozzarella (1 torn, the other cubed) (£1.10x2)=(£2.20)
  • Side salad or broccoli

Cupboard Essentials

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • ½ tbsp italian seasoning
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 600 ml vegetable stock
  • Optional red pepper flakes
Metric - US Standard

Instructions

  • To a large saucepan, add the extra virgin olive oil, aubergine cubes, mushrooms and onion. Season generously with salt and stir to combine. Place a lid over the pan and leave to fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Next, remove the lid and continue to fry for another 5 minutes or until all the excess moisture is fried off.
  • Add the garlic, tomato puree and flour into the pan to fry for 2 minutes before adding your plum tomatoes, stock and Italian seasoning. Set your timer to 20 minutes and reduce the heat to medium/low. Cover with a lid.
  • After 10 minutes add your pasta to heavily salted boiling water. Set a second timer to the packet time minus 2 minutes.

Preheat your grill to 200°C at the same time as you start to cook the pasta.

  • Drain the pasta, reserving some pasta water. Combine a few ladles of tomato sauce with the pasta in the pasta saucepan. Loosen with a ladle or two of pasta water.
  • Time to assemble to ziti! Add a ladle of the tomato sauce into your baking dish. Next add half of pasta and then half of the roasted veggies. Scatter small dollops of the ricotta (all of it) over this layer and ⅓ of the mozzarella cubes. Add a few ladles of sauce and repeat. With the final layer consisting of only parmesan and mozzarella cubes for the crispiest cheese.
  • Place under the grill for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and crispy.

Notes

  • Boil the ziti noodles until slightly undercooked to prevent them from becoming mushy in the oven.
  • Leave the ziti uncovered in the oven for a gooey pasta mixture with a crispy cheese topping.
  • Slice into serving-sized pieces and freeze in airtight containers or baggies for up to three months.
  • Prep the dish and refrigerate for up to two days before baking when you're ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 674kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 30g