Three Cheese Baked Ziti

Meatless Baked Ziti with Cheese — An EASY baked ziti recipe that can be assembled up to two days in advance and bake it off when you’re ready! Al dente ziti pasta is coated in a creamy three cheese sauce and then baked until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a side salad, steamed vegetables, or garlic bread for a full meal!

My family went nuts for this dish. They’re huge pasta lovers and the cheese sauce made with three cheeses sealed the deal.

The sauce that coats the pasta is so cheesy, rich, and full of flavor. Anytime you’ve got three great cheeses like mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan melted together, things are going to be good. Throw in some browned onions, garlic, and juicy tomatoes and it’s a total win.

It makes an ample amount which is great for planned leftovers. And the leftovers freeze well for hectic nights when all you can manage is pulling something from the freezer.

I love having a few get-out-of-jail-free-cards stashed in my freezer! Detailed instructions on how to assemble the meatless baked ziti in advance are provided in the blog post below.

Recipe Ingredients

To make the three cheese baked ziti, you’ll need the following basic ingredients:

• Ziti
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Yellow onion
• Garlic
• Vegetable stock or broth
• Milk (I used Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk)
• All-purpose flour
• Ground black pepper
• Grated mozzarella cheese
• Grated fontina cheese
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley or basil (for serving)

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

How to Make Meatless Baked Ziti with Cheese

Baked cheese ziti is so simple to prepare! You’ll first have to boil the pasta according to the package instructions, then toss it with the three cheese sauce and bake.

Here’s an overview of the recipe steps:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain.
2. Add the cooked pasta and diced tomatoes to a 9×13-inch casserole dish and toss to combine.
3. In a saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
4. Add the vegetable stock, milk, flour, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened.
5. Stir in the three cheeses.
6. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, then bake (covered) for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to brown the cheese on top.

Make-Ahead Instructions

The recipe is easy and you can prep it up to two days in advance and bake it off when you’re ready.

To prepare in advance:

1. Prepare the vegetarian baked ziti up until the step that says to bake it (recipe step #7 in the recipe card below).
2. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to two days.
3. When ready to bake, set the ziti casserole on your countertop for about 30 minutes. (If you stick it in the oven straight from the fridge, the bake time will need to be increased which might then cause the top to overcook.)
4. Bake as instructed and enjoy!

Recipe Variations to Try

• Swap the pasta. The ziti can be replaced with another short and sturdy pasta, such as rotini, bow tie, penne, etc. You can even use whole wheat pasta, if desired.
• Swap the cheeses. I don’t recommend replacing the mozzarella cheese since it’s what helps make the cheese sauce so gooey and creamy. But the Parm and contain may be replaced with other grated cheeses.
• Add protein. I kept this a meatless cheese baked ziti, but you’re welcome to add half a pound to one pound of browned and seasoned ground beef, ground Italian sausage, ground chicken or turkey, etc.
• Add vegetables. You can sauté other vegetables alongside the onion, like bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and so on. Use softer veggies that cook quickly if you’re in a rush, and dice or slice them thinly so they’re easy to spear on a fork with the baked ziti.

What to Serve With Baked Ziti

House Salad

Parmesan Balsamic Roasted Broccoli

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Kale Caesar Salad with Fried Chickpeas

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4.67 from 18 votes

Meatless Baked Ziti with Cheese

By Averie Sunshine

An EASY baked ziti recipe that can be assembled up to two days in advance and bake it off when you’re ready! Al dente ziti pasta is coated in a creamy three cheese sauce and then baked until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a side salad, steamed vegetables, or garlic bread for a full meal!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

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Ingredients  

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• ▢ 12 ounces ziti, cooked according to package directions
• ▢ 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes, (I used no-salt-added garlic and oregano-infused tomatoes)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 1 medium onion)
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
• ▢ one 14-ounce can low-sodium vegetable stock
• ▢ 1 cup milk, (I used Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
• ▢ 4 ounces grated fontina cheese
• ▢ 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh Italian flat-left parsley or fresh basil, finely minced for garnishing (optional)

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Instructions 

• Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, transfer to a large bowl, add the tomatoes, and stir to combine.
• Transfer pasta and tomatoes to a 3-quart baking dish sprayed with cooking spray (a 9×13-inch baking pan may be substituted); set aside.
• To a large saucepan, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
• Add the onion and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden brown. Stir intermittently.
• Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
• Add the vegetable stock, Cashewmilk, flour, pepper, and bring mixture to a rapid boil while whisking nearly constantly, or until no flour lumps remain. Allow mixture to boil rapidly for about 5 minutes and sauce has reduced and thickened some.
• Slowly add the cheeses, whisking constantly to incorporate. After cheeses have melted, pour cheese sauce over pasta in prepared dish. Cover with foil and at this point you can refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking or bake now.
• When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F, and bake covered (keep the foil on) for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is as lightly golden browned and bubbly as desired. Prior to serving, optionally garnish with parsley or basil. Serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Extra ziti will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat leftovers gently as necessary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 401kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 759mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Post brought to you by Silk. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own.