Three Cheese Baked Ziti

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Meatless Baked Ziti with Cheese — An EASY baked ziti recipe that can be assembled up to two days in advance and bake it off when you’re ready! Al dente ziti pasta is coated in a creamy three cheese sauce and then baked until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a side salad, steamed vegetables, or garlic bread for a full meal!

Three Cheese Baked Ziti - Mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan melted together are divine!! An easy, make-ahead meal that's also freezer-friendly and so tasty!! The whole family will love it!

My family went nuts for this dish. They’re huge pasta lovers and the cheese sauce made with three cheeses sealed the deal.

The sauce that coats the pasta is so cheesy, rich, and full of flavor. Anytime you’ve got three great cheeses like mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan melted together, things are going to be good. Throw in some browned onions, garlic, and juicy tomatoes and it’s a total win.

It makes an ample amount which is great for planned leftovers. And the leftovers freeze well for hectic nights when all you can manage is pulling something from the freezer.

I love having a few get-out-of-jail-free-cards stashed in my freezer! Detailed instructions on how to assemble the meatless baked ziti in advance are provided in the blog post below.

Three Cheese Baked Ziti - Mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan melted together are divine!! An easy, make-ahead meal that's also freezer-friendly and so tasty!! The whole family will love it!

Recipe Ingredients

To make the three cheese baked ziti, you’ll need the following basic ingredients:

  • Ziti
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Yellow onion
  • Garlic
  • Vegetable stock or broth
  • Milk (I used Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk)
  • All-purpose flour
  • Ground black pepper
  • Grated mozzarella cheese
  • Grated fontina cheese
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh parsley or basil (for serving)

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Ingredient Tip

Rather than using heavy cream in the cheese sauce, I used Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk. It’s so irresistibly creamy and thick but with fewer calories than skim milk. Eating more plant-based protein is a great goal and Silk Cashewmilk or Silk Almond Milk are my milks of choice for baking, smoothies, and sauces. They’re so low in calories and fat, they’re vegan and dairy-free, and I always get impressive-tasting results.

Silk Cashewmilk

How to Make Meatless Baked Ziti with Cheese

Baked cheese ziti is so simple to prepare! You’ll first have to boil the pasta according to the package instructions, then toss it with the three cheese sauce and bake.

Here’s an overview of the recipe steps:

  1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain.
  2. Add the cooked pasta and diced tomatoes to a 9×13-inch casserole dish and toss to combine.
  3. In a saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
  4. Add the vegetable stock, milk, flour, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened.
  5. Stir in the three cheeses.
  6. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, then bake (covered) for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to brown the cheese on top.
Three Cheese Baked Ziti - Mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan melted together are divine!! An easy, make-ahead meal that's also freezer-friendly and so tasty!! The whole family will love it!

Make-Ahead Instructions

The recipe is easy and you can prep it up to two days in advance and bake it off when you’re ready.

To prepare in advance:

  1. Prepare the vegetarian baked ziti up until the step that says to bake it (recipe step #7 in the recipe card below).
  2. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to two days.
  3. When ready to bake, set the ziti casserole on your countertop for about 30 minutes. (If you stick it in the oven straight from the fridge, the bake time will need to be increased which might then cause the top to overcook.)
  4. Bake as instructed and enjoy!
Three Cheese Baked Ziti - Mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan melted together are divine!! An easy, make-ahead meal that's also freezer-friendly and so tasty!! The whole family will love it!

Recipe Variations to Try

  • Swap the pasta. The ziti can be replaced with another short and sturdy pasta, such as rotini, bow tie, penne, etc. You can even use whole wheat pasta, if desired.
  • Swap the cheeses. I don’t recommend replacing the mozzarella cheese since it’s what helps make the cheese sauce so gooey and creamy. But the Parm and contain may be replaced with other grated cheeses.
  • Add protein. I kept this a meatless cheese baked ziti, but you’re welcome to add half a pound to one pound of browned and seasoned ground beef, ground Italian sausage, ground chicken or turkey, etc.
  • Add vegetables. You can sauté other vegetables alongside the onion, like bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and so on. Use softer veggies that cook quickly if you’re in a rush, and dice or slice them thinly so they’re easy to spear on a fork with the baked ziti.

What to Serve With Baked Ziti

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Fridge: Extra ziti will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezer: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to three months. You can also freeze smaller portions in freezer bags for quick lunches or dinners.

To Reheat: Heat for 10 to 15 minutes in a 350ºF oven (covered), or heat in 30-second bursts in the microwave.

Pin This Recipe

4.67 from 18 votes

Meatless Baked Ziti with Cheese

By Averie Sunshine
An EASY baked ziti recipe that can be assembled up to two days in advance and bake it off when you’re ready! Al dente ziti pasta is coated in a creamy three cheese sauce and then baked until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a side salad, steamed vegetables, or garlic bread for a full meal!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients  

  • 12 ounces ziti, cooked according to package directions
  • 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes, (I used no-salt-added garlic and oregano-infused tomatoes)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 1 medium onion)
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
  • one 14-ounce can low-sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 cup milk, (I used Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
  • 4 ounces grated fontina cheese
  • 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh Italian flat-left parsley or fresh basil, finely minced for garnishing (optional)

Instructions 

  • Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, transfer to a large bowl, add the tomatoes, and stir to combine.
  • Transfer pasta and tomatoes to a 3-quart baking dish sprayed with cooking spray (a 9×13-inch baking pan may be substituted); set aside.
  • To a large saucepan, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
  • Add the onion and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden brown. Stir intermittently.
  • Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
  • Add the vegetable stock, Cashewmilk, flour, pepper, and bring mixture to a rapid boil while whisking nearly constantly, or until no flour lumps remain. Allow mixture to boil rapidly for about 5 minutes and sauce has reduced and thickened some.
  • Slowly add the cheeses, whisking constantly to incorporate. After cheeses have melted, pour cheese sauce over pasta in prepared dish. Cover with foil and at this point you can refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking or bake now.
  • When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F, and bake covered (keep the foil on) for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is as lightly golden browned and bubbly as desired. Prior to serving, optionally garnish with parsley or basil. Serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Extra ziti will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat leftovers gently as necessary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 401kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 759mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Easy Pasta Casseroles:

Baked Ziti with Chicken — A FAST and EASY pasta bake made with al dente ziti, juicy chicken, marinara sauce, and two types of CHEESE for the ultimate comfort food casserole!

Taco Spaghetti Bake — Tender spaghetti noodles are tossed in a creamy cheese sauce along with seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, green chiles, black beans, and cilantro! The PERFECT family-friendly weeknight dinner recipe that’s super EASY and ready in 30 minutes!

Baked Chicken Alfredo — Hearty Italian-inspired comfort food! Fettuccine noodles are tossed in a homemade alfredo sauce, topped with chicken, baked, and then finished off with crispy crunchy breadcrumbs!

Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Casserole — Hearty comfort food that’s EASY and IRRESISTIBLE!! Cheesy pasta and beef coated in marinara sauce and topped with more CHEESE! Makes planned leftovers and is freezer-friendly!!

Pizza Pasta Casserole – EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and for times when you want BOTH pizza AND pasta!! Ground beef, pepperoni, and oodles of cheese make this casserole pure COMFORT FOOD! Feeds a crowd!!

Post brought to you by Silk. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is my go to baked ziti! Super good as it’s written, but I’ve subbed out the cashew milk before for skim with success, I’ve added kale and sausage and I’ve used a bunch of different pasta noodles. Always such a hit and freezes so well. Thank you!

  2. 5 stars
    This is my go to baked ziti! Super good as it’s written, but I’ve subbed out the cashew milk before for skim with success, I’ve added kale and sausage and I’ve used a bunch of different pasta noodles. Always such a hit and freezes so well. Thank you!

    1. Thanks for the five star review and glad this is your go to baked ziti and that you’ve made some swaps with nice success!

    1. I don’t know it. Updating my recipes one by one to reflect nutritional stats. I have about 1500 more to go.