Description
Hearty summer vegetable baked ziti combines seasonal produce with creamy pasta for a comforting meal. Rich layers of zucchini, tomatoes, and cheese create a delightful Mediterranean-inspired dish you’ll crave all season long.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 lb (1.13 kg) yellow squash and zucchini, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds and half-moons
- 2 pints red grape tomatoes
- 1 lb (454 g) uncooked ziti pasta
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 6 oz (170 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 (12-oz) jar marinara sauce
- 2 oz (57 g) Romano cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
- 3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsps kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp black pepper, divided
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Vegetable Preparation: Arrange oven rack near top and activate broiler. Toss squash, zucchini, and tomatoes with minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper on a foil-lined baking sheet, ensuring a single, even layer for optimal caramelization.
- Roasting Process: Broil vegetables until edges char and texture softens, rotating pan midway through to guarantee uniform browning.
- Cheese Mixture Creation: Whisk ricotta with romano cheese, chopped basil, white wine vinegar, remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl until smooth and well-integrated.
- Pasta Integration: Cook pasta in heavily salted water until perfectly al dente, then drain. Combine pasta with roasted vegetables and marinara sauce, gently folding to ensure even distribution.
- Layering Technique: Transfer half the pasta-vegetable mixture into a rectangular baking dish, strategically spread ricotta mixture across the surface, then add remaining pasta and repeat ricotta placement.
- Cheese Topping: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella uniformly across the top of the assembled dish.
- Baking Finale: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake until cheese melts and surface develops a golden-brown crust, approximately 25 minutes.
- Serving Presentation: Remove from oven, allow ziti to rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.
Notes
- Boost Vegetable Flavor: Broiling caramelizes summer vegetables, intensifying their natural sweetness and creating rich, smoky undertones.
- Perfect Pasta Texture: Cook pasta just until al dente to maintain a slight firmness, preventing mushiness when baked in the casserole.
- Cheese Blending Technique: Thoroughly mix ricotta with romano and seasonings to ensure a smooth, well-distributed creamy layer throughout the dish.
- Resting Time Matters: Allow the ziti to rest for 5 minutes after baking, letting flavors meld and helping the casserole set for cleaner, more appealing servings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg