Easy Baked Ziti with Spinach Recipe - Cooked by Julie (2024)

Baked Ziti with Spinach – makes the perfect meatless meal. Look no further for the perfect baked ziti recipe!

Serve this with onions rolls and tomato avocado salad for a complete meal.

Recently I’ve been sharing some healthier and low carb recipes but I promised you guys I would share a comforting recipe and here it is. Although I did throw in some spinach, so that makes it healthier.I didn’t use ziti because I prefer penne. The lines on the penne help the sauce adhere to the pasta. Plus, baked ziti sounds way better than baked penne with spinach. As far as vegetables go, pick your favorite. I love spinach and think spinach and cheese go great together. I think buffalo mozzarella cheese is key. I like to mix in the buffalo mozzarella and then use shredded mozzarella and parmesan for the top.

How Do You Make Baked Ziti With Spinach?

Start off by preheating your oven to 500 degrees F. Cook the onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat with some olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, add the fresh garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook until fragrant and then stir in the crushed tomatoes, season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Chop the fresh spinach and set aside. In a big bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, spinach, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Mix well. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with the ricotta cheese mixture. Stir in the buffalo mozzarella cheese. Place the pasta mixture in a casserole dish and top it off with shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.

Top Tips and Recipe Variations:

• Place the spinach in a food processor if you don’t feel like cutting it yourself.
• Although this is a vegetarian recipe, feel free to add ground beef, Italian sausage, chicken, or shrimp.
• Incorporate as many veggies as you’d like such as mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, etc.
• Use store-bought marinara sauce to cut the cooking time in half.
• Add extra crushed red pepper to make it spicier.

Can I Make This Ahead Of Time?

Yes, absolutely. Follow all of the recipe steps minus the baking part. Cover it tightly and freeze up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat let it thaw at room temperature and then bake at 350 degrees F. for about 30-40 minutes.

Making baked pasta has never been easier. I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Please share it with your friends and family.

More Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

• Penne alla Vodka with Shrimp
• Creamy Shrimp Alfredo
• Cuban Spaghetti
• Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

You can find more delicious recipes and cooking tutorial videos onYoutubeandFacebook.