Ingredients
Ingredients
- 400 g dry ziti pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 13.5 g
- 2 cloves garlic minced, about 6 g
- 800 g marinara sauce about 3 1/3 cups
- 250 g ricotta cheese about 1 cup
- 200 g low-moisture mozzarella shredded, about 2 cups; divided
- 40 g finely grated Parmesan about 1/2 cup
- 3 tablespoons torn fresh basil about 6 g
Equipment
- 1 large pasta pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 9-by-13-inch baking dish
- 1 small saucepan
Instructions
Prepare and cook
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the ziti about 2 minutes less than the package's al dente time, until still firm in the center. Drain without rinsing. The nutrition estimate assumes unsalted cooking water.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add marinara and warm gently for 3–4 minutes.
- Spread about 150 g sauce over the base of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Toss the drained pasta with about 500 g sauce and half the mozzarella.
- Add half the pasta to the dish. Dot with half the ricotta in small spoonfuls. Repeat with remaining pasta and ricotta. Spoon the remaining 150 g sauce over the top, then add the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10–15 minutes more, until hot and bubbling with melted, lightly golden cheese. Let stand 10 minutes, scatter basil over the top and divide into six portions.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portionCalories: 540.8kcalCarbohydrates: 61.7gProtein: 21gFat: 21.9gSodium: 815.5mgFiber: 4.9g
Video
Notes
Video reference: Sip and Feast, published 2020-03-27. The demonstration makes meatless baked pasta with marinara, ricotta and mozzarella. It uses Pecorino where this written recipe uses Parmesan. Follow the written quantities and pasta timing.
This recipe uses pre-boiled pasta, not a no-boil method. For strictly vegetarian servings, choose cheeses made with vegetarian-suitable rennet. Penne can replace ziti using its own package timing.
Nutrition is estimated using ANSES Ciqual 2025 for pasta, generic tomato-onion sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, oil and aromatics, plus Galbani UK ricotta label values. Ricotta fiber uses the generic dairy value of zero. Marinara brands vary substantially in sodium. Below-threshold values use half the threshold. No extra cooking-water salt or sides are included.
Illustrative cost assumptions, not live prices: pasta $1.50, sauce $3.20, ricotta $2, mozzarella $2.20, Parmesan $1.20, oil/garlic/basil $1.30 = $11.40.
Refrigerate promptly, use within 3–4 days and reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
