Author: This recipe for Classic Vegan Baked Ziti is sponsored by Muir Glen who I love for their organic canned tomatoes that taste delicious straight out of the can. Seriously!
Oh hello, did you want me to introduce you to my soulmate? It's called Classic Vegan Baked Ziti, but I like to call it my one true love, for short. Oh yeah, I'm feeling sassy about this recipe as it's just the perfect baked pasta dish you ever did see, and more importantly taste!!
Ziti pasta is layered with a simple homemade tomato sauce and my Quick Vegan Tofu Ricotta. Sprinkled with Parmegan and fresh basil. It's simple, delicious, classic, hearty, amazing, and you'll be going back for seconds... and thirds.
There are a few layers to this dish, but both the tomato sauce and tofu ricotta can be made ahead of time to make assembly quick and easy. This is the perfect pasta bake for a dinner party, special Sunday dinner, potluck, or just a night when you feel like you need to good ol' fashioned home cooking. A good pasta dish always tastes like home to me.
I grew up in a family where having cans of tomatoes in the cupboards was an absolute staple as you never know when a craving for pasta would strike (which was most nights, because, pasta). So I have tasted a lot of tinned tomatoes in my life. Once cooked, the tomatoes taste fine, but usually when you taste the tomatoes straight from the can they have an odd tinned tomato taste. Does anyone know what I am talking about here?
But I had a magical moment when I was cooking up this dish. I opened a can of the Muir Glen diced tomatoes and tasted them as I taste everything I cook with, and oh my... they were delicious! Straight out of the can. I was so surprised that I actually had a second and third taste. And this is coming from a girl that doesn't even really like raw tomatoes that much. Yeah, they're good.
I definitely recommend taste testing some Muir Glen tomatoes for yourself. Find Muir Glen products in the natural foods section at all Sobeys, Whole Foods and most Loblaws stores.
Now onto the pasta bake!
To make Classic Vegan Baked Ziti: start by making the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and just begin to brown. Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let the sauce cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes are cooked.
In the meantime prepare the tofu ricotta (if not prepared ahead of time) and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente.
To assemble the Classic Vegan Baked Ziti, add half of the cooked pasta to the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish.
Pour over half of the tomato sauce.
Then dollop on half of the tofu ricotta.
Repeat with the remaining pasta and tomato sauce. Stir 3 - 4 tablespoons of water into the remaining ricotta to make it easier to spread and smooth it over the pasta and tomato sauce. Top with the Parmegan. Bake covered with foil for 15 minutes, remove foil and cook another 5 - 10 minutes until lightly browned and hot all the way through.
Garnish with fresh basil before serving if desired. SO PRETTY, SO SCRUMPTIOUS!
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Classic Vegan Baked Ziti
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion,, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28oz can Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups Muir Glen Crushed with Basil Tomatoes, (half of a 28oz can)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the pasta bake:
- 1 454g ziti, penne, or rigatoni, (gluten-free if preferred)
- 1 recipe Quick Easy Tofu Ricotta
- 3 - 4 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons Parmegan
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- To make the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and just begin to brown. Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let the sauce cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes are cooked.
- To cook the pasta: bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente.
- To assemble the pasta bake: Preheat your oven to 375F (190C).
- Add half of the cooked pasta to the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Pour over half of the tomato sauce, and then dollop on half of the tofu ricotta. Repeat with the remaining pasta and tomato sauce. Stir 3 - 4 tablespoons of water into the remaining ricotta to make it easier to spread and smooth it over the pasta and tomato sauce. Top with the Parmegan. Bake covered with foil for 15 minutes, remove foil and cook another 5 - 10 minutes until lightly browned and hot all the way through. Garnish with fresh basil before serving if desired.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon appetegan!
Sam
Amy says
Excellent dish! Full of flavor and easy to make. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
You're most welcome! I am so thrilled you love it Amy 🙂
PeachyPrincess says
This was really Yummy! My whole family like it, my siblings and I take turns cooking every week, and I made this last week! they asked me to make it again, it's hard to make dishes for my family since there are so many of us but this was not expensive, and it was still yummy! Not to mention it was east to use the doubling function I just had to put in the amount of servings I needed.
I am 1000% going to make this again next week, and I'm going to try out the other recipes!!
Thankyou for posting it!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Im so thrilled you loved it so much! Thank you for the review 😉