Hidden Veggie Baked Ziti
A classic, comforting baked ziti that secretly packs a serving of hidden vegetables in the rich marinara sauce. Blended smooth and layered with creamy ricotta and gooey mozzarella, picky eaters will never know it's healthier.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Colander
- Large deep skillet or Dutch oven
- Immersion blender or standard blender
- 9x13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
Pasta
- 16 ounces whole wheat ziti or penne pasta — can substitute with regular or gluten-free ziti
Hidden Veggie Marinara
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion — roughly chopped
- 2 medium carrots — peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 medium zucchini — roughly chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper — stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic cloves — minced
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes — canned
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt — plus more to taste
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
Cheese Mixture & Topping
- 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 whole large egg — lightly beaten
- 0.5 cup parmesan cheese — grated
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley — chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese — shredded
Pasta
| 16 ounces | whole wheat ziti or penne pasta | can substitute with regular or gluten-free ziti |
Hidden Veggie Marinara
| 1 tablespoon | extra virgin olive oil | |
| 1 medium | yellow onion | roughly chopped |
| 2 medium | carrots | peeled and roughly chopped |
| 1 medium | zucchini | roughly chopped |
| 1 medium | red bell pepper | stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped |
| 4 cloves | garlic cloves | minced |
| 28 ounces | crushed tomatoes | canned |
| 1 teaspoon | dried oregano | |
| 1 teaspoon | dried basil | |
| 1 teaspoon | kosher salt | plus more to taste |
| 0.5 teaspoon | black pepper |
Cheese Mixture & Topping
| 15 ounces | part-skim ricotta cheese | |
| 1 whole | large egg | lightly beaten |
| 0.5 cup | parmesan cheese | grated |
| 0.25 cup | fresh parsley | chopped, plus more for garnish |
| 2 cups | part-skim mozzarella cheese | shredded |
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.
~5 min -
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook for 2 minutes less than the package instructions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
~10 minUndercooking the pasta slightly prevents it from becoming mushy when baked. -
While the water boils, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, zucchini, and bell pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are very soft, about 10-12 minutes.
~12 minChop the vegetables finely if you want them to cook faster. -
Add the garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and black pepper to the vegetables. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
~6 min -
Remove the sauce from heat. Use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer to a standard blender) to puree the sauce until completely smooth and no vegetable chunks remain.
~3 minIf using a standard blender, allow the sauce to cool slightly and remove the center cap of the lid to let steam escape. -
In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, grated parmesan, and chopped fresh parsley.
~2 min -
To assemble, spread 1 cup of the hidden veggie sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Toss the cooked ziti with the remaining sauce. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the dish. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture evenly over the pasta. Top with the remaining pasta.
~5 min -
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil (make sure it doesn't touch the cheese).
~2 minSpray the underside of the foil with non-stick spray so the cheese won't stick. -
Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden on top.
~35 minBroil for the last 2 minutes if you prefer a browned, crispy cheese topping. -
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired.
~10 minResting allows the sauce to thicken up so the casserole holds its shape when scooped.
Tips & Storage
- To add extra protein, you can brown some lean ground turkey or vegetarian ground meat crumbles and stir it into the blended sauce before assembling.
- Using whole wheat pasta increases the fiber content significantly, contributing to the healthier profile.
- Make sure to blend the sauce very thoroughly if serving to highly suspicious eaters; the red color of the tomatoes and bell peppers easily masks the orange and green veggies.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, assemble the ziti but do not bake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.