Vegetarian Baked Ziti

The most good Vegetarian Baked Ziti made with a creamy tomato sauce (and plenty of it), bell peppers, spinach and topped with bubbling melted mozzarella cheese. This baked pasta is easy to prepare in advance and suited to busy weeknights!

There's nothing more comforting that a big dish of baked pasta and this vegetarian baked ziti ticks all the boxes.

It's packed with veggies (bell peppers, onion and spinach) it's got plenty of sauce because no one like a dry pasta bake and it's topped with bubbling, melted mozzarella cheese with plenty of crispy bits on top!

This is a easy recipe to prep in advance or whip up on a busy weeknight to keep you full and cosy.

Ingredients – what you need

To make this recipe you'll need the following ziti pasta (or another short pasta shape)canned plum tomatoes, mascarpone, parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh basil, dried oregano, red bell peppers, red onion and spinach.

See the photo below that shows you all the ingredients you need!

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet. Once hot add the sliced bell peppers and sliced red onion. Fry the vegetables, stirring often until they start to soften for around 5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and oregano to the vegetables and cook for a further 5 minutes (photos 1 & 2).

Add the canned tomatoes then rinse out any leftover tomato from the cans with water and add that to the sauce. Stir until everything is combined and simmer for 10 minutes (photos 3 & 4).

Turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone, season well with salt and pepper (photos 5 & 6).

While the sauce is simmering add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for around 7 minutes so it's slightly undercooked.

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce along with the spinach and basil, stir to combine (photos 7-9).

Transfer the pasta to a large baking dish and top with mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden on top (photos 10-12).

Recipe tips and FAQs

• What pasta to use – you can use any short pasta shape to make this recipe whether it's ziti tagliati, rigatoni, penne, or fusilli.
• Vegetables – you can add pretty much any vegetables you like to this baked ziti. Bell peppers (of any colour), zucchini, broccoli, or green beans are all great alternatives.
• Cooking the pasta – you want to make sure you undercook the pasta by at least 3 minutes. We find that boiling it for 6-7 minutes is enough before being baked in the oven.
• Mascarpone substitute – if you don't have mascarpone you can add a splash of cream to taste or omit it altogether.

How do we prepare this in advance?

Follow the recipe up until baking and put it in the fridge up to 1 day in advance then bake when you are ready to eat.

How long do leftovers last?

Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 1-2 days and can be eaten cold or reheated.

Can we freeze it?

Yes, you can either freeze the prepared dish before baking or freeze leftovers. Thaw it completely before baking or re-heating.

More veggie pasta recipes you might like

• Vegetable Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta
• Spaghetti Aglio e Olio: Garlic & Oil Pasta
• Penne all'Arrabbiata: Spicy Italian Tomato Pasta
• Penne Pomodoro (Tomato Basil Pasta)
• Cavatelli and Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients

Makes 6 - 8 servings

For the sauce

• 4 cups ziti or another short pasta shape ((400g))
• 30 oz canned plum tomatoes (whole tomatoes (800g))
• ½ cup mascarpone ((120g))
• 2 small red bell peppers (sliced)
• 1 red onion (finely sliced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 cups baby spinach (a large handful)
• 1 small handful fresh basil (roughly chopped)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 cup water ((240ml))
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper (to season)

Topping

• 1 ball mozzarella ((4.4oz/125g))
• ¼ cup parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese ((20g))

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Heat the olive oil (2 tbsp) in a large frying pan or skillet. Once hot add the sliced bell peppers (2 whole) and sliced red onion (1). Fry the vegetables, stirring often until they start to soften for around 5 minutes.

3. Add the minced garlic (2 cloves) and oregano (1 tsp) to the vegetables and cook for a further 5 minutes.

4. Add the canned tomatoes (2 cans) then rinse out any leftover tomato from the cans with 1 cup/240ml of water and add that to the sauce. Stir until everything is combined and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone (½ cup/120g). Season well with salt and pepper.

5. While the sauce is simmering add the pasta (4 cups/400g) to the boiling water and cook for around 7 minutes so it's slightly undercooked.

6. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce along with the spinach (2 cups/large handful) and basil, stir to combine.

7. Transfer the pasta to a large baking dish and top with mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden on top.

8. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Kitchen notes

• What pasta to use you can use any short pasta shape to make this recipe whether it's ziti tagliati, rigatoni, penne, or fusilli.
• Vegetables you can add pretty much any vegetables you like to this baked ziti. Bell peppers (of any colour), zucchini, broccoli, or green beans are all great alternatives.
• Cooking the pasta you want to make sure you undercook the pasta by at least 3 minutes. We find that boiling it for 6-7 minutes is enough before being baked in the oven.
• Mascarpone substitute if you don't have mascarpone you can add a splash of cream to taste or omit it altogether.
• Storage leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 1-2 days and can be eaten cold or reheated.
• Freezing can be frozen before or after baking. Thaw completely before baking and heat until piping hot all the way through.