Meatless Baked Ziti

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients; for a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Ziti: You can use ziti, penne, rigatoni, spirals or cavatappi. The pictures here are taken with penne lisce.
Garlic: The recipe suggests 4 cloves, but as always, measure the garlic with your heart.  
Onion: Any onion will work. Yellow, brown, white, or red.
Tomato Passata/Marinara sauce: Passata is just plain, pureed tomato; it is thicker than canned tomato. It is different from the thick tomato paste you can buy. You often find it on the bottom shelf of the pasta sauce aisle. In America, Passata is called tomato sauce (not to be confused with ketchup!) If you can't find passata/tomato sauce, you can sub in a jar of marinara sauce. 
Ground Fennel: This is op[tional, but it will add so much flavor to your pasta. It is a great ingredient to have on hand. It can go into plenty of Italian dishes and is also great when making a curry sauce.
Ricotta Cheese: Use creamy whole milk ricotta for the best results. Low-fat ricotta can be very dry. 
Grated Cheese: The recipe calls for grated mozzarella and parmesan. But you can substitute with what cheese you have available. As with all my recipes, grating it yourself is always better than pre-grated. 

We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you, have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!

• Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet suggests. This will help it keep its shape when you add it to the pasta bake.
• When adding the ricotta, spoon it out into small dollops rather than mixing it through the pasta. This gives you creamy pockets and is so much nicer to eat.
• Grate your own mozzarella and parmesan; this will ensure they melt well. Store-bought grated/shredded cheese is coated in cellulose to stop it from sticking together. This leaves a grainy texture in the melted cheese.

These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.

Reduce the pasta: if you want to cut down on the pasta, use half pasta and half cauliflower (I par-cook it for 2 minutes with the pasta)
Adding extra veg: Add chopped zucchini, bell peppers, celery, mushrooms, and spinach to your tomato sauce.
Add leftover cooked meat: Shredded/diced meat can be added to the sauce once cooked before it is mixed with the pasta. Chicken, pork, beef, and sausage will all work well.
Add salami/pepperoni/ham: If you have some salami, pepperoni, or ham in the fridge, chop them up and mix them into the pasta and sauce.
Add spice: Add some red pepper flakes to your sauce mix. Or add some chopped green jalapenos to your ricotta layer. 
Mix up the cheese: Play around with the cheese, depending on what you have available. For example, goat's cheese is excellent mixed with ricotta, as is a creamy blue cheese like gorgonzola.

Sides: This baked pasta is a saucy, rich dish, so a crisp green salad and some bread work well. Or add a side of vegetables like easy buttered veg, chili sugar snap peas, roasted broccoli, or some garlic green beans.

Wine: Red wine drinks could go for a Valpolicella or a Chianti Classico. Both are medium-bodied and will stand up to the richness of the cheese while balancing any sweetness from the sauce. 
If you prefer white wine, opt for a crisp, citrusy Vermentino that can cut through the richness of the cheese without adding sourness to the tomatoes. Or grab a bottle of Prosecco, as bubbles make most meals better!