My family loves this Vegetarian Baked Pasta dish; it’s super delicious! Assembling the pasta dish is easy and quick and can be prepared ahead of time. It is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Hearty Vegetarian Baked Pasta
This pasta dish is amazingly comforting, delicious, and satisfying. It is packed with vegetables, creamy ricotta, and cheese. And do not forget about bubbling marinara sauce! If you want to take a break from vegetarian lasagna, try this Vegetarian Pasta Bake. You can easily customize the recipe and make it your own. Adding ricotta makes the pasta creamy, rich, and filling. I also like to use a combination of mozzarella and cheddar cheese to make the pasta extra cheesy. I always make pasta sauce and marinara sauce at home, as we can not find them at the grocery store without onion and garlic. So, I use my homemade marinara sauce for this recipe. But you can use store-bought marinara sauce or your favorite pasta sauce. Also, add your choice of vegetables or make it with only spinach. If you do not want to add cheddar cheese, you can exclude it from the recipe.
How To Make Vegetarian Baked Pasta
Preparations
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly oil a 9×13-inch baking pan.
Preparing The Ricotta Mixture
Combine ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Cooking The Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to boiling water and cook it to al dante according to the package.
Cooking The Vegetables
While the pasta is cooking, cook the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large skillet for a few seconds and add chopped celery, zucchini, carrot, and bell peppers.
Cook the vegetables on medium heat for 6-8 minutes, tossing regularly, until softened and cooked through.
Season the vegetables with salt, oregano, and paprika.
Stir well and add marinara sauce to the vegetables. Mix well, cook for 5-6 minutes, and turn off the heat.
Assembling And Baking Vegetarian Baked Pasta
Once the pasta has been cooked, drain it and return it to the pot.
Add the sauce and vegetable mixture to the pasta and mix well. Then add the ricotta mixture and stir gently to mix everything well.
Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking pan and top with shredded mozzarella, chopped basil, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes.
Bake the pasta uncovered, until the top is golden brown, for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
More Easy Meals
Recipe Card
Cooking The Vegetables: Instead of cooking the vegetables on the stovetop, you can roast them in the oven. Sauce: Instead of marinara sauce, you can use spaghetti or pasta sauce of choice. Cheese: You can leave out cheddar cheese if you have an option of vegan parmesan cheese. Herbs: Add more fresh herbs of your choice to the pasta dish if you want. To do so, cook the pasta and vegetables. Prepare the ricotta mixture and assemble everything in a baking dish according to the recipe, but do not bake. Once it comes to room temperature, cover the baking pan tightly and refrigerate. When you are ready to serve, bake the pasta as per the recipe. Marinara Sauce: You may need more sauce than what is mentioned in the recipe. So, after mixing all the ingredients, add more sauce as needed if the pasta looks dry. Or, if you prefer saucy pasta, add 5-6 cups of marinara sauce. Ricotta and Cheese: The ratio of ricotta and cheese I mentioned in the recipe is perfect. But if you prefer mildly cheesy or more cheesy pasta, add the cheese according to your preference.
