00743 11 40 C 11 baked apples with cheese. 007431 69 40 69 C 47. A hearty and flavorful vegetarian pasta bake! This easy, one-skillet vegetable and 5 cheese baked ziti is pure comfort food.
With a blend of Italian cheeses, tender pasta that cooks right in the same skillet, and fresh zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper, and onions in a zesty tomato sauce, the meal is satisfying and delicious. With a blend of Italian cheeses, tender pasta that cooks right in the same skillet, and fresh zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions in a zesty tomato sauce, the meal is satisfying and delicious. Baked Ziti Recipe No Meat While we always enjoy a classic baked ziti with Italian sausage, this vegetarian baked ziti is equally well-loved in our house. It’s approved by the kids, in spite of the abundance of fresh veggies! Perhaps it’s the flavorful tomato sauce, or maybe it’s the five different types of cheese that makes it so delicious.
No, baked ziti and lasagna are not the same dish. While the baked pasta dishes share many common ingredients, there are a handful of differences. Why is it called baked ziti? Baked ziti is a casserole that’s made with ziti and a Neapolitan-style tomato-based sauce that’s popular in Italian-American cuisine. What is the difference between baked ziti and baked penne? While the two pasta shapes look very similar, ziti is not the same as penne. Penne originates from Campania, a region in southwestern Italy.
Penne is shorter than ziti, and larger in diameter. Ziti’s ends are cut straight, unlike penne’s diagonal ends. While penne is rarely used in Italy for baked dishes, ziti is typically used for oven-baked casseroles. All of those differences aside, we’re not too particular around here. If you need to substitute penne for the ziti in this recipe, feel free! The pasta bake will be delicious either way! The Best Pan for Baked Ziti Regular readers know that I love cooking with my cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens!
That’s why I prefer to make my vegetarian baked ziti in a deep 12-inch cast iron skillet. It saves me from washing extra dishes at the end, because cast iron skillets go from the stovetop to the oven. The vegetables, sauce, and pasta cook in the same skillet that you use to bake the casserole! Don’t worry, though — you don’t actually need a cast iron skillet to prepare this dish. Feel free to transfer the mixture to a standard 2-quart baking dish for the final step in the oven.
Ingredients This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pan of easy baked ziti with no ricotta. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post. Olive oil: to saute the vegetables. Mushrooms, zucchini, sweet bell pepper, onion, and garlic: fresh vegetables that add flavor and hearty texture to the casserole. Red pepper flakes: for a little spicy kick. Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the dish. Crushed tomatoes: the base of the tomato sauce.
Water: to thin the sauce and cook the pasta. Ziti: the dry, uncooked ziti goes straight into the pan and cooks right in the sauce. You do not need to boil it first. Sugar: just a hint of sweetness to balance the acidity in the tomatoes. Heavy cream: adds richness to the sauce. Parmesan cheese: for extra flavor in the dish. Basil: fresh herbs are always my preference, but you can substitute with about 1-2 tablespoons of dried basil or dried Italian seasoning if necessary.
Italian 5 cheese blend: a convenient combination of grated mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, asiago, and romano cheeses. If you can’t find the Italian blend, you can use regular shredded mozzarella cheese. Do I need to add eggs? A typical baked ziti recipe calls for layers of pasta, sauce, meat, and ricotta. The ricotta layer usually includes eggs as as a binder to give the ricotta mixture more structure.
Since we’re not layering the ingredients in our skillet, and since we’re not using any ricotta at all, there’s no need for an egg in this particular recipe. How to Make Vegetarian Baked Ziti This easy baked ziti recipe comes together fairly quickly, and with minimal effort! Best of all, it’s a one-pot meal with very few dishes to wash at the end. No need to brown sausage, ground turkey, or ground beef in a separate pan, and no need to boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water before adding it to a casserole dish. Sauté the vegetables in olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet with a wooden spoon.