This Roasted Vegetable Baked Ziti recipe reminds me of an easier version of lasagna. It’s cooked pasta coated in a creamy ricotta mixture, mixed with roasted vegetables, topped in red sauce and mozzarella
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Course: Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: baked ziti recipe, pasta with veggies, roasted vegetable pasta
Servings: 12servings
Calories: 233kcal
Author: Alexandra Caspero Lenz
Ingredients
2cupssquashzucchini, summer, or a mix, chopped
2mediumcarrotschopped (about 1 cup)
2cupsbroccoli floretschopped into bite-sized pieces
1tsp.extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12oz.ziti pasta
1(15 oz.) containerpart-skim ricotta cheese
1largeegglightly beaten
1 1/4cupsshredded mozzarella cheesedivided
Scant 1/8 tsp. nutmegfreshly ground
1/4tsp.crushed red pepper flakesor to taste
1(26 oz.) jarmarinara sauce
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the squash, carrots, and broccoli with the olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix well and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. (You may need two sheets.) Roast for 35-40 minutes until just tender.
While the vegetables are cooking, make the ziti. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the ziti. Cook until just al dente, then drain but do not rinse.
In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes and a few cracks of freshly ground pepper. Add the vegetables and pasta to the cheese mixture and stir until just combined.
Reduce oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce in a 9x13-inch baking dish, enough to cover the bottom. Add the ziti mixture and cover with remaining sauce. Top with 3/4 cup mozzarella. Lightly tent with foil so that the cheese doesn't stick to the foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 15 minutes until bubbly and hot. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the ricotta mixture because that's how I typically like it. However, I'm sure this recipe would be just as delicious exactly as written.