Vegan Baked Ziti

If you're looking for a vegan pasta dish that's both "cheesy" and creamy without any added oil, this vegan baked ziti is the answer! It's also gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free! Easy to make with a combination of chickpea pasta, canned tomato sauce and our sunflower seed ricotta this pasta bake is sure to become a family favorite.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Italian, Vegan

Keyword allergy-friendly pasta, baked ziti, dairy free baked ziti, dairy-free, gluten free, gluten free vegan, gluten-free dairy-free recipes, nut-free baked ziti, nut-free vegan recipes, school lunch vegan, vegan, vegan cheese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 36

Inactive Prep Time 20

Servings people

Calories 363kcal

Author Sireesha A.

Equipment

Kettle
Blender
Chopper or Food Processor

Ingredients

1 batch sunflower seed ricotta
12 oz chickpea or lentil pasta
1 (28 oz.) *can oil-free, vegan tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) *can oil-free, vegan tomato sauce

Instructions

Make the sunflower seed ricotta and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 400° F. Add 1 cup of tomato sauce to the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking dish and spread around with a spoon.
Boil 3 qts. of water in a 5-qt. pot. Salt the water if desired. Par-cook the pasta for 4 minutes less than the package directs. For example, if the package's cooking time is 12 minutes, cook the pasta for 8 minutes. If the package gives a range, such as 9-11 minutes, use the average and subtract 4 (so in this case, the pasta would cook for 6 minutes). Drain pasta and return to pot.
Reserve 1 cup of tomato sauce and add the rest to the pasta. Reserve ¼ cup of ricotta and add the rest to the pasta. Stir to combine.
Transfer the pasta to the baking dish. Use a spoon to dollop and lightly spread the ¼ cup reserved ricotta randomly on top of the pasta. Spoon on the 1 cup reserved tomato sauce randomly on top of the pasta around the spots with ricotta.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes or until heated throughout (you should see bubbling). Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.

Video

Notes

*Feel free to use a total of 5-5.5 cups of homemade sauce or jarred sauce in place of the canned, if desired. Note that most jarred sauces contain oil, but there are a few that do not such as 365 fat free marinara and Simply Nature marinara.

To keep this recipe soy-free, ensure that the pasta and sauce do not contain any soy ingredients.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave until warmed throughout. You can also reheat in a 400° F in a covered baking dish until warmed throughout. Line the baking dish with a little sauce before adding the leftover ziti.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition calculation was made using chickpea pasta and was based on an average of 7 servings.

Nutrition