Baked Ziti Recipe
This baked ziti recipe is loaded with vegetables: sauteed zucchini, pattypan squash on top, and a red bell pepper hiding in the tomato sauce. This delicious healthy pasta will leave you full and satisfied. Yum!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 16–ounces of ziti or penne pasta (chickpea or whole wheat)
- 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 zucchinis, chopped into large chunks
- 1 lemon
- 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed (minced)
- 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
- Salt to your liking
- 15.5-ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
- 2 pattypan squashes, thinly sliced
- 10–ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil to a saute pan and kick the heat up to medium-high.
- Add the zucchini to the saute pan.
- Juice the lemon. Add the lemon juice to the saute pan. Cook the zucchini and lemon juice until the zucchini is tender and lemon juice has cooked down approximately 5 minutes.
Pasta sauce
- Add diced tomatoes, red bell pepper, garlic, basil, and salt to a blender pitcher.
- Pulse the blender a couple of times to mix up all ingredients. This does not need to be smooth, a little chunky is a-ok.
Assemble
- Add cooked pasta, zucchini, chickpeas, and pasta sauce to a large baking dish. Mix together until everything is coated in pasta sauce.
- Lay the pattypan squash slices on top of pasta, covering the entire top.
- Tear pieces of mozzarella with your hands and evenly sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the pattypan squash.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the mozzarella is bubbly and beings to brown.
- Let the pasta cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Yum!
Notes
This pasta is great as leftovers! Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Find it online: https://www.bowlofyum.com/2020/09/baked-ziti-recipe/