Baked Roasted Vegetable Ziti

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This nutrient packed Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables is a healthier version of the classic dish that will have everyone eating their veggies!

365 CAL 55g CARBS 10g FAT 16g PROTEIN
4 Comments

Baked Roasted Vegetable Ziti packed with peppers, zucchini, summer squash, and eggplant all tossed with ziti and baked with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese is a hearty and healthy dish the whole family will love. It's one of the easy pasta dishes we love to make when the weather gets cold along with this Spinach and Artichoke Pasta and Chicken and Mushroom Pasta.

Vegetarian, omnivore, herbivore, meatavore, whatever you call yourself, there's a pasta dish for that. And most pasta dishes can be made to satisfy all of those (though not generally at the same time). Whether I'm feeding myself or a crowd, picky or plentiful eaters, meat or veggie lovers, I know I can always whip up a pasta dish and please just about anyone and everyone.

I know I'm all about healthy, but just because I'm cooking up pasta doesn't mean I've given up. There are many, many ways to make a pasta dish healthy. All you need to do is incorporate some easy changes and add lots of delicious roasted vegetables. You can even add cheese! Pasta and cheese and you're still calling it healthy? I am!

The best part is, you can mix up the vegetables to include your favorites or what you have on hand. You can also add lean ground beef,  sausage, or white beans if you want more protein. Basically, this is a mas-up of two of my favorite pasta recipes - Baked Ziti Bolognese and Roasted Vegetable Pasta.

Roasted vegetables baked ziti served on a plate with zucchini, summer squash, melted cheese, and fresh basil.

What You'll Need - Ingredients

  • Pasta: Any type of pasta will work in this recipe. Usually, I make it with high-fiber pasta or whole wheat. Alternative pasta like chickpea, lentil, or gluten-free options will also work, just remember to cook them al dente. For a lower-carb option, use cooked spaghetti squash.
  • Vegetables:  Any veggies will work in this baked pasta. For this version, I used eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, red bell peppers, and onion. However, feel free to switch this up with whatever vegetables you like. Just make sure to choose vegetables that roast in the same amount of time or adjust the recipe until the vegetables are cooked and tender-crisp.
  • Marinara sauce: Any spaghetti sauce will work in this recipe. Normally I just use store-bought sauce like Rao's but you could also make your own homemade marinara.
  • Cheese: Classic baked pasta recipes use a combination of shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan. You could also add some ricotta cheese or fresh mozzarella if you like.

Side Dishes to Serve with Baked Ziti

I know pasta dishes basically beg for sides of salads and garlic bread. I agree, those items really round out a pasta dish for sure. But, since you're already loading up your pasta with veggies, you don't also have to add a lettuce salad out of obligation. Or, how about trying another type of salad or vegetable, for instance:

  • These Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad, Roasted Green Beans, or this Easy Spring Mix Salad dishes all make great sides that can help to incorporate even more veggies.
  • Try making your own garlic bread with less butter and preservatives than the frozen stuff.
  • Dinner rolls also make a nice addition to a pasta dish. These Two-Ingredient Breadsticks are always a hit.
  • Skip the extra veggies and bread and try a side dish of fruit! Slice grapefruit and oranges into wedges and serve together, or buy a pre-cut bowl of mixed berries at the grocery to serve alongside dinner (or save it for dessert!).

Roasted vegetables on a sheet pan and pasta, sauce, and veggies in a bowl.

Ideas for Customizing 

As I said earlier, pasta is a really great dish to customize. I can think of an almost infinitesimal amount of ways to customize this dish. The easiest ways though would include the following, in no particular order:

  • Switch up the veggies. Easy-peasy. What do you like? What do your guests or family members like? Use more of those vegetables. Roast them all together just like the recipe says.
  • Swap some of the pasta out for zoodles or extra veggies.
  • Use gluten-free, high-fiber, or veggie pasta if you have special dietary limitations.
  • Use a white sauce if you don't like marinara sauce (just make sure it's a healthier variety or make your own).
  • Try skipping sauces all together and roast the veggies with some minced garlic for a fresh-tasting pasta dish.
  • Skip the mozzarella and just use parm (or vice-versa).
  • Incorporate those little balls of Buffalo mozzarella in with the pasta and veggies right in the dish before putting in the oven. You'll have little cheesy pockets in each serving.
  • Switch this dish up and make it like a lasagne, with pasta layers alternating with veggie layers, alternating with cheesy layers.
  • Add in a protein — sausage, ground beef, or turkey, bacon, chicken — just about any cooked meat would blend nicely with this pasta dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most common questions about making baked ziti at home.

Yes, it can! If you are predicting a time crunch for the night you want to serve the baked ziti or you just like making food ahead of time, this dish is perfect for that. What you'll want to do is roast the veggies first, and then mix it with your cooked pasta and let this mixture cool in the pan.

Once it's cooled, you can refrigerate, covered with aluminum foil, for a day or two. When you're ready to make the meal, add the cheese then go ahead and bake it for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. You'll need a little extra cooking time because you'll be starting to bake the dish while it's still cold.

This recipe will work with pretty much any kind of pasta. As you will notice in the photo, I actually used rotini the second time I cooked this since that is all I had in the house. Just make sure to only cook the pasta until it is al dente. This prevents the pasta from over-cooking in the oven.

This recipe is a great option for using up leftover roasted vegetables. If you want to roast some vegetables ahead of time, use this guide to learn how to roast all different types of veggies.

Baked Ziti with roasted vegetables in a casserole dish with cheese melted on top.
The Recipe
Roasted Vegetable Baked Ziti with melted cheese in a white casserole dish.

Baked Roasted Vegetable Ziti

365 CAL 55g CARBS 10g FAT 16g PROTEIN
PREP TIME: 20 Min
COOK TIME: 30 Min
TOTAL TIME: 50 Min
4 Comments
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Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 2 zucchini, sliced into half moons
  • 2 summer squash, cut into half moons
  • 2 cups eggplant, peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup onion, sliced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 oz high fiber ziti
  • 2 cup marinara sauce
  • 1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

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1

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

2

Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Roast for 15 minutes or until tender. Set aside one serving for lunch later in the week.

3

Turn the oven down to 400 degrees.

4

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions but take out of the water after 8 minutes or when the pasta is very al dente. It will cook again in the oven so this will prevent it from over-cooking.

5

Toss together the roasted vegetables, pasta, and marinara sauce. Pour into a prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

6

Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 1.25 cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 365
Calories from Fat 93
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g
16%
Saturated Fat 4g
18%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 17mg
6%
Sodium 678mg
29%
Total Carbohydrate 55g
18%
Dietary Fiber 11g
44%
Sugars 16g
Protein 16g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

Notes

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About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
4 Comments
On Baked Roasted Vegetable Ziti
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Melissa Valena
March 18, 2020 - 15:42
Just made this for dinner. I ended up splitting it into 2 pans and plan to freeze one. Anyone have tips for freezing and reheating?
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Laurie
May 5, 2018 - 08:13
That looks really yummy! But isn't that rotini in the photo instead of ziti? I'm wondering if I can substitute penne or another pasta?
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May 6, 2018 - 09:53
You are completely right! This was an old recipe that I photographed again and that time I used rotini. Any pasta shape will work :)
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Megan Eaton
April 12, 2016 - 18:21
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5
One of my favorite recipes from slender kitchen! So yummy and satisfying!
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