Baked Ziti with Spinach and Ricotta
Whole wheat ziti tossed in a garlicky tomato-and-spinach sauce, layered with herbed ricotta and melting mozzarella, and baked under a browned parmesan crust.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is a hearty, comforting pasta bake for anyone who wants the pull-apart, cheesy pleasure of baked ziti without the meat. It leans on whole wheat pasta and a generous amount of fresh spinach, so it eats like a full meal on its own, with enough substance to satisfy the whole table on a weeknight and enough leftovers to reheat well the next day. It is also the sort of dish that can be assembled in the afternoon and put in the oven when people arrive.
Three cheeses, each doing a different job. Ricotta, loosened and seasoned with oregano and a little parmesan, is dolloped between the pasta so it stays in creamy pockets rather than dissolving into the sauce. Mozzarella goes both in the middle and on top so you get melt throughout and a browned lid, while grated parmesan on the surface crisps and deepens the flavor in the oven. Pulling the pasta a touch early keeps it from turning soft once it bakes.
Fiber in the whole wheat pasta and spinach, and protein from the ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan, is what makes it last. The olive oil, garlic, and simmered crushed tomatoes give it a savory, rounded flavor, and the wilted spinach folds greens into every forkful without anyone having to think about eating a salad on the side. Cut squares reheat better than most baked pasta, since the ricotta keeps the middle from drying out.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked whole wheat ziti
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 2 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 5 cups fresh spinach
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Cook the ziti: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the whole wheat ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of tender, about a minute less than the package suggests, so it holds up to baking. Drain in a colander and set aside; whole wheat pasta softens further in the oven, so err toward al dente.
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Peel and dice the onion, peel and mince the garlic, and set both aside. Rinse the fresh spinach if gritty.
- Build the sauce: Warm the olive oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and saute until softened and fragrant, about 4 minutes, stirring so the garlic does not brown. Add the fresh spinach by the handful, stirring until it wilts down and gives up its water. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and dried oregano, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes to marry the flavors.
- Season the ricotta: In a small bowl, stir the ricotta with a pinch of the grated parmesan and a little of the dried oregano until smooth and spreadable. This herbed ricotta will dollop more evenly and season each bite from the inside.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the drained ziti to the skillet and toss until every piece is well coated in the tomato-and-spinach sauce.
- Layer the dish: Spread half of the sauced pasta in an even layer in a baking dish. Dollop the herbed ricotta over the top and sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella. Add the remaining pasta in an even layer, then finish with the rest of the mozzarella and the grated parmesan.
- Bake and rest: Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling at the edges and lightly browned on top. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes so the layers set before scooping and serving.
Variations
- Add mushrooms: Saute sliced cremini or button mushrooms with the onion until their liquid evaporates and they brown, adding an earthy, meaty depth without any meat.
- Roasted red pepper: Stir chopped jarred roasted red peppers into the sauce for a mellow sweetness and a little more color throughout the bake.
- Extra greens: Swap some or all of the spinach for chopped kale, wilting it a minute longer since it is sturdier, for a more robust green flavor.
- Spiced up: Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce with the oregano for a gentle background heat that plays well against the creamy ricotta.
- White bean boost: Fold drained and rinsed canned white beans into the sauced pasta for extra plant protein and a creamier texture between the noodles.
Storage & Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container once fully cooled. The baked ziti keeps well for up to 4 days, and the flavor of the tomato sauce actually deepens by the next day.
To reheat, cover a portion loosely and warm it in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through, or microwave a single serving with a splash of water sprinkled over the top to keep the pasta from drying out. The added moisture loosens the sauce back to its just-baked texture.
To make ahead, assemble the full dish through the layering step, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking. Add a few extra minutes in the oven since it starts cold, and bake until the center is hot and the top is browned.
Notes & Tips
- Undercook the pasta: Boil the ziti to just under al dente, because it keeps cooking and absorbing sauce in the oven. Fully cooked pasta going in tends to come out mushy.
- Loosen the ricotta: If your ricotta looks stiff or watery, stir it well before dolloping. A quick mix makes it spread into smoother pockets and drains off any excess liquid that would thin the sauce.
- Season the tomatoes to taste: Crushed tomatoes vary in acidity. Taste the simmered sauce and, if it tastes sharp, let it cook a couple minutes longer or add another small pinch of oregano to round it out before tossing with the pasta.
- Grate your own mozzarella: A block of mozzarella you shred yourself melts smoother than pre-shredded, which is dusted with anti-caking starch that can make the top pasty rather than glossy.
- Double the batch: This bakes well in a larger dish for a crowd or for planned leftovers. Assemble two, bake one now, and refrigerate the other unbaked for a day or two.
- Serve alongside: A simple green salad with a lemony dressing or some roasted broccoli on the side cuts the richness and rounds out the plate.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- The pasta, the cheeses and the sauce make this what it is. Whole wheat ziti gives it the chew and the backbone, the ricotta keeps the inside creamy, and the tomato sauce runs through all of it so nothing eats dry.
- Whole wheat ziti brings its own flavor to the dish. The bran gives it a nutty taste and a firmer bite that holds up through a long bake, and it is also where the fiber in the pasta comes from.
- Ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan each do a different job. The ricotta stays creamy in pockets, the mozzarella gives the pull and the browned top, and the parmesan salts everything with its aged sharpness, all three carrying protein and calcium.
- Spinach folded into the sauce almost disappears, which is the point of it. It keeps the filling from being only cheese, adds folate, vitamin K and plant iron, and runs a green thread through the ricotta.
- Garlic, onion, oregano and olive oil are the foundation of the sauce. The onion and garlic soften and sweeten first, the dried oregano blooms in the oil, and tomatoes cooked in that fat give up their lycopene more readily.
- As you eat, let the dish rest before you cut into it, take in the pull of the melted cheese and the oregano coming off the top, and check in with yourself partway through the plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use no-boil pasta or skip cooking the ziti first?
No-boil pasta is designed for saucier, wetter bakes and this dish does not have enough loose liquid to hydrate it, so the noodles would stay hard. Boil the ziti to just under al dente first for the best texture.
My baked ziti came out dry. What happened?
The most common causes are overcooked pasta that soaked up too much sauce, or too little sauce clinging to the noodles. Toss the pasta thoroughly with all the sauce, and if reheating leftovers, add a splash of water before warming.
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
Yes. Thaw it and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands or a clean towel, then stir it in when you would add the fresh spinach. Skipping the squeeze will leave the sauce watery.
Why is my cheese not browning on top?
The bake time is short, so if the top is melted but pale, run it under the broiler for a minute or two, watching closely. The parmesan on the surface browns fastest and gives that golden, slightly crisp finish.