Vegetarian Italian Baked Ziti

A long simmered sauce with mushrooms and vegetables flavors this rich, meatless Italian dish. Don't let the cook time fool you--while the sauce is simmering and the ziti is baking, you can relax!

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 35 mins
• Calories: 353 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 3 large portobello mushroom caps, chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
• ½ (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
• 1 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
• ¾ cup non-dairy Parmesan cheese substitute

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; saute until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, parsley, 1 teaspoon oregano, and basil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Oil a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Step 3

Just before the sauce is finished, 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 11 minutes. Drain.

Step 4

Combine cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 of the Parmesan substitute, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix remaining Parmesan substitute and 1/2 teaspoon oregano in another small bowl.

Step 5

Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer 1/3 cup ziti, 1 cup sauce, and 1/3 cottage cheese mixture; repeat layers twice more. Top with any remaining sauce, then sprinkle with oregano-Parmesan blend.

Step 6

Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 1 hour.