By Tiffany Published • Last Updated March 1, 2021 9 Comments
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This Baked Ziti Recipe is a healthy classic comfort food with 9 different veggies; It can be made ahead of time; And it is deliciously frugal! Pairs perfectly with a kale caesar salad and avocado chocolate mousse for dessert!
Traditionally, baked ziti is not considered a “healthy” dish with white pasta + loads of sauce + lots of cheese = a nutrition nightmare!
But ever since I started preparing healthy real food meals for my family, I’ve made healthier versions of traditional and classic recipes like:
- Classic crockpot pot roast
- Chicken noodle soup
- Tomato basil soup
- Homemade pizza dough
- Sweet potato casserole…
- And even homemade chicken nuggets!
Plus healthy homemade breads like my whole wheat einkorn bread, and healthier cookies like my chocolate chip cookies and so much more!
So it made perfect sense to turn a traditional baked ziti into a healthy and easy baked ziti recipe to share with you! It’s healthy & nutritious, yet still a soul-satisfying recipe that the whole family will love!
Baked Ziti Recipe
Not only is this recipe healthier than a classic baked ziti recipe, but it’s also:
- Packed with veggies! This healthy baked ziti is made with zucchini, kale, and seven other vegetables that no one will notice. Since this recipe is meatless, it is the perfect vegetarian baked ziti recipe!
- Delicious! Not only does this baked ziti look amazing, it tastes delicious. It’s just like making a big pan of warm comfort food, on a cold day, when there’s nothing else to do but spend all afternoon in the kitchen….
- Except that you won’t spend hours in the kitchen and this is the perfect dish for a busy weeknight.
- Plus make it ahead for your monthly meal plan. Just freeze, thaw, warm and serve!
What are the Ingredients in Easy Baked Ziti?
- Ziti, penne, or rigatoni noodles
- Creamy cauliflower sauce
- Zucchini or summer squash
- Baby kale or spinach
- Monterey jack cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper
- Homemade spaghetti sauce
Note: Some people like to add Italian seasoning, but I decided not to – since the spaghetti sauce and cauliflower sauce already make it so flavorful and creamy!
Also, If you’d like to add a spicy kick to this pasta recipe, go ahead and throw in some red pepper flakes! Yum!
Can Baked Ziti be made with meat?
Yes! If you’d like to add meat to this recipe, you can always make the spaghetti pasta sauce as a meat sauce, by using ground beef or ground turkey. You can even make a baked ziti with sausage by using my homemade Italian sausage! Either way, just follow the directions as listed, and use my meaty spaghetti sauce recipe instead.
By the way, I get all of my meat from Butcher Box, which has grass-fed and pasture raised meats. Ordering from Butcher Box is perfect for meal plan budgeting, and they often have promotions where you can get free meat in each box! Read here for more on my personal experiences with Butcher Box and how to make it worth the cost here!
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Can I substitute the cheese in this easy baked ziti recipe?
Sure! If you’d prefer to use mozzarella cheese rather than monterey jack cheese, go for it! The blend of parmesan and mozzarella will be delicious!
What can I substitute for ricotta cheese in baked ziti?
Since I made this baked ziti recipe without ricotta, and used my homemade cauliflower sauce instead, this recipe actually has the perfect substitute! You will LOVE the cauliflower sauce instead of ricotta. Recipe substitutions with more vegetables are always a win!
How do you make healthy classic baked ziti from scratch?
- Preheat the oven. In an 8×8 or 9×13 glass casserole dish (or baking dish), spread 1/4 cup of cauliflower sauce even on the bottom. Line up noodles against each other in rows. Nestle half of the zucchini or squash strips among the noodles.
- Sprinkle the top with half of the baby kale or spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle 1/3 cup of Monterey jack cheese on top.
- Scoop remaining cauliflower sauceover the top, spreading gently to create an even layer. Repeat steps 3-5.
- Top with homemade spaghetti sauceand Monterey jack cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Serve hot with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
Can This Baked Ziti Recipe Be Made Ahead?
Yes! On a day when you have a few minutes to spare – just layer up an extra pan or two so that it’s ready to pop in the oven on a busy night later in the week. And if you’re REALLY on your game, you’ll make a few batches to freeze one for later.
Tips for Making Easy Baked Ziti Ahead:
- It saves time to have individual meal components done when you’re ready to assemble.
- The creamy cauliflower sauce, homemade spaghetti sauce and noodles can easily be made ahead of time. The zucchini can be prepped in advance too.
- When the time comes to assemble, it’ll take roughly 10 minutes to put this healthy baked ziti all together, depending on how particular you are about the noodles lining up.
- If you’ve already got everything out for one dish, why not make a few and save one to freeze for later?
How to Freeze Healthy Baked Ziti?
- Before assembling this dish, line your panwith tin foil, leaving at least a 2″ overhang and ensuring every inch of the pan is covered.
- Assemble the baked ziti by following the steps above and freeze.
- When the dish is frozen through (at least overnight in the freezer), carefully remove the meal from the pan using the tin foil, wrap completely for storage (in either more aluminum foil or a storage bag), label the meal and place back in the freezer.
- When you are ready to bake, place frozen healthy baked ziti back into the same pan and allow to thaw to room temperature.
- Bake according to the directions in the recipe.
Is baked ziti the same as lasagna?
Sometimes baked ziti and lasagna ingredients are similar, and they’re both layered in a casserole dish, but the noodles are different. Ziti (or penne and rigatoni) are small-ish noodles which are more bite sized, and lasagna has long strips of noodles.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Skillet Pizza Veggie Pasta
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake
- Weeknight Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Savory Pasta with Onions, Bacon, and Greens
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Easy Baked Ziti
This Baked Ziti Recipe is a healthy classic comfort food with 9 different veggies; It can be made ahead of time; And it is deliciously frugal! Pairs perfectly with a kale caesar salad and avocado chocolate mousse for dessert!
- Author: Tiffany
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 lb penne, zitii or rigatoni noodles, cooked al dente and cooled
- 1 cup creamy cauliflower sauce
- 1/2 zucchini or summer squash, cut into approximately the width and length as a noodle
- 1 cup baby kale or spinach, loosely packed
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup homemade spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In an 8×8 or 9×13 glass dish, spread 1/4 cup of cauliflower sauce even on the bottom.
- Line up noodles against each other in several rows. Nestle half of the zucchini or squash strips randomly yet evenly among the noodles.
- Sprinkle the top with half of the baby kale or spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle 1/3 cup of Monterey jack cheese on top.
- Scoop remaining cauliflower sauce over the top, spreading gently to create an even layer.
- Repeat steps 3-5.
- Top with homemade spaghetti sauce and Monterey jack cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until warmed through and the cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve hot with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
Notes
** To prepare ahead of time, complete steps 2-7. Cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Store in freezer for storage more than 3 days.
** To thaw, bring dish to room temperature and complete steps 8-9.
Have you made healthy baked ziti? What’s your favorite variation?
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