Vegan Baked Ziti is an easy weeknight meal. Ziti pasta mixes with plant-based beef, vegan cheese and marinara sauce to create a flavorful dish that’s ready in under 45 minutes! 

This vegan baked ziti recipe is easy. So easy, that I’m almost embarrassed to call it a recipe! But you know what that means? It means that it’s incredibly simple to whip up during a busy work week.

While my vegan eggplant parmesan and my lentil bolognese are reader favorites, they’re a tad more time consuming and require a bit more prep work. Not this baked ziti! Though I kept it super minimal, I gave some to my family to eat and they raved about it, so I figured I’d share it. 

Recipe features

• An easy pasta recipe that comes together in under 45 minutes total.
• This is a “cook once, eat twice” kind of recipe, meaning you should have some leftovers. 

Ingredients

Pasta noodles – This is a baked ziti recipe, so ziti noodles are recommended but not required. Other good options are fusilli, cavatappi or penne. 

“Beef” – Use your favorite plant-based meat alternative! 

Seasoning – A combination of garlic cloves and Italian seasoning works best. 

Marinara sauce – I love using arrabbiata sauce for extra flavor and a little spice, but opt for your favorite kind. 

Cheese – I opted to only use vegan mozzarella cheese shreds. However, in the “Tips” section below, and in the “notes” section of the recipe card, I’m including an option for vegan ricotta cheese as well. You can also use grated vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top if you’d like.

Fresh herbs – Fresh basil or parsley works well to sprinkle on top of the baked dish.

Instructions

Step 1: Cook pasta. Start by cooking the pasta according to the package instructions, then drain and transfer to a casserole dish. 

Step 2: Make the meat sauce. Next, cook the plant-based meat in a large skillet. Once cooked, add the garlic and Italian seasoning and sauté for 1 minute. Pour the marinara sauce over the meat and stir to combine. 

Step 3: Bake. Pour the meat sauce over the pasta, then gently toss to combine. Sprinkle the cheese overtop, then bake in the oven at 375° for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and/or vegan parmesan before serving and enjoy!

Tips and tricks

• Don’t overcook the pasta; otherwise, it’ll get mushy when it bakes.
• If the plant-based beef seems to be sticking to the skillet, add a tablespoon of olive oil.
• You can easily make this gluten free by using gluten free pasta, just be sure to follow the cook times on the package since they’ll be different than regular pasta.
• Add extra veggies to this by sautéing grape tomatoes and/or spinach and then adding them to the meat sauce.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer: If you plan on freezing this, I recommend waiting to add the cheese until you’re ready to eat it. Instead, bake without the cheese, then wait for it to cool before transferring to a freezer-safe bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a skillet and sprinkle cheese on top (it should melt fairly quickly).

More easy vegan dinners

• Seitan Stir Fry
• Crispy Tofu Tacos
• Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta 

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!