Red Lentil Pasta Baked Ziti
This easy, cheesy Red Lentil Pasta Baked Ziti is a hearty and delicious gluten-free meal featuring three kinds of cheese and red lentil penne pasta.
Servings 10 -12
Ingredients
- 1 Ricotta Cheese Mixture (click for the recipe)
- 56 oz. crushed tomatoes with basil (I used Tuttorosso brand)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)
- 2 tablespoon grated Romano or Parmesan cheese*
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
- 16 oz red lentil penne pasta (I used Explore Cuisine)
- 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese *see notes below regarding vegetarian-friendly cheese options
Instructions
- Prepare ricotta cheese mixture according to recipe and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Add crushed tomatoes, garlic, grated cheese and parsley to a 4-quart saucepan. Stir to combine. Cover and cook over medium to medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the sauce is done, remove from heat.
- While sauce is cooking, prepare the pasta according to package directions except cook molto al dente, which is slightly undercooked. It should be slightly firm but not too hard. For example, the pasta I used had a cooking time of 8-10 minutes, and I cooked it for 6 minutes. I'd recommend starting with 2 minutes less than suggested to ensure it does not become overcooked which will result in the pasta falling apart when it is baked.
- After draining the pasta, return to pot.
- Carefully add the sauce to the pasta as it will still be hot.
- Stir in ricotta cheese mixture.
- Scoop evenly into a deep 13" x 9" baking dish
- Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and ziti is bubbly.
Notes
*Note that most Romano and Parmesan cheeses are not technically vegetarian as they typically contain animal rennet. However, BelGioioso and 365 by Whole Foods are two brands that offer a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan.