Meatless Baked Ziti

Easy to prepare and great for entertaining, this meatless baked ziti is a cheesy, comforting dish for chilly nights.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 416 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 (15 ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 pound shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 4 cups marinara sauce, divided
• 0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 0.5 cup grated Romano cheese
• 0.5 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 0.25 teaspoon ground thyme

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Step 3

Combine mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, onion, parsley, egg, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in ziti and 2 cups marinara sauce.

Step 4

Spread 1 cup marinara in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish to coat. Pour ziti mixture into the dish; top with remaining 1 cup marinara, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover dish with aluminum foil.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking until bubbly and cheese browned, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven; let sit 10 minutes before serving.