This hearty meatless baked ziti recipe is the old San Giorgio Baked Ziti favorite! Quick and easy, it's at home any weeknight, or even for family celebrations.
This family friendly casserole is the original San Giorgio pasta box recipe. It bakes up with tender pasta, zesty sauce, and a cheese melted top for baked ziti perfection.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This famous meatless baked ziti recipe is available on may cartons of San Giorgio ziti pasta. However, there are lots of places where San Giorgio pasta is not available. When I moved across the US, I was so glad I'd cut the back of the pasta box off so I had a copy of the recipe. It's been a family favorite for years.
Some of the best features of this San Giorgio Baked Ziti Recipe are:
- Delicious. The hearty combination of pasta, cheese, and tomato sauce is simply irresistible. You'll never care that it's a meatless baked ziti recipe!
- Easy to make. This baked ziti casserole can be assembled in just a few minutes and then baked in the oven while you prepare other dishes or enjoy some time with your family.
- Budget friendly. The meatless nature of this baked ziti recipe makes it inexpensive to make.
- Crowd-pleaser. Baked ziti is sure to be a hit with everyone. It's perfect for a busy weeknight, and splendid enough to grace your holiday table!
Ingredients You'll Need
While this recipe uses San Giorgio ziti pasta, you can use any other brand of ziti pasta. Not only that, but other tube pasta a also perfect, such as simple elbow macaroni, rigatoni, penne, and even mostaccioli.
- Ziti pasta - Dry San Giorgio brand, or any other ziti pasta brand. Prepare according to box instructions.
- Olive oil
- Ricotta cheese - Low or full fat.
- Mozzarella cheese - Low fat, part skim, or full fat, shredded.
- Parsley - Fresh, chopped.
- Oregano - Preferably fresh chopped, but dry if unavailable.
- Egg
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Pasta sauce - Any meatless pasta sauce, store bought or homemade.
- Parmesan cheese - Any, I prefer wide shaved Parmesan.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make San Giorgio Baked Ziti
This famous meatless baked ziti recipe is available on may cartons of San Giorgio ziti pasta. However, there are lots of places where San Giorgio pasta is not distributed to.
Boil The Ziti Pasta
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Boil the ziti pasta according to the pasta box instructions. Stir 1 tablespoon of oil in and toss with pasta to coat. This will prevent the pasta sticking together while you make the sauce.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, Mozzarella, egg and seasonings.
- Add the pasta sauce to the bowl of mixed cheese mixture.
Mix Pasta Sauce With Cheese Mixture
- Mix the pasta sauce into the the cheese, egg, and spice mixture until evenly combined.
Combine Sauce With Cooked Ziti Pasta
- Transfer the pasta sauce and cheese mixture to the pan of drained cooked ziti noodles and stir until all the ziti pasta is coated.
Transfer To Casserole Dish And Bake
- Pour the ziti and pasta sauce mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole or other shallow baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and lightly cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Tips for Success
We have a few helpful tips for making this San Giorgio baked ziti box recipe:
- To make sure that your pasta is cooked al dente, be sure to follow the package directions. Al dente pasta is slightly firm to the bite and will not become mushy when baked.
- If you want a richer flavor, you can use whole milk ricotta cheese.
- For a meaty version of this dish, add cooked ground beef or sausage to the ricotta cheese mixture.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations when making this recipe:
- If you don't have any fresh parsley, you can use 1 tablespoon of dried parsley instead.
- If you want a spicier dish, you can add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the ricotta cheese mixture.
- You can substitute any type of tube pasta for the ziti.
Serving Suggestions
San Giorgio Baked Ziti can be served on its own or with a side salad or breadsticks. It is also a great dish to potluck or bring to a party. In many Italian American families, it's also a holiday celebration dish.
Here are some complementary recipes to serve with this meatless baked ziti:
- Italian Bread Dipping Oil
- Italian Charcuterie Board
- Frozen Texas Toast In Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- Soft Italian Breadsticks
Storage and Reheating
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, assemble the ziti and cheese mixture in the baking dish and cover with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
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- Spinach Artichoke Baked Pasta
- Bowtie Pesto Pasta Salad
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this recipe.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This is the famous recipe on the box of San Giorgio ziti pasta, however, you can use any tube type pasta, to include simple elbow macaroni.
A great, low cost substitute is creamy, small curd cottage cheese.
You don't have to, but if you lightly cover the pasta casserole, it will cook a little faster. Be sure to not let the foil touch the top surface, or the cheese will stick to it.
Yes, both baked and unbaked! For unbaked, store in containers in the freezer until ready to bake. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then bake according to the recipe instructions. For previously baked ziti, store in serving containers and defrost overnight also. Microwave until hot.
More Delish Ideas
San Giorgio Baked Ziti (Meatless Baked Ziti)
Ingredients
- 16 oz Ziti pasta San Giorgio or any other ziti pasta brand
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 15 oz Ricotta cheese
- 8 oz Mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ cup Parsley chopped, fresh
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Oregano dried or fresh
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 24 oz Pasta sauce
- 3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Boil the ziti pasta according to the pasta box instructions. Stir 1 tablespoon of oil in and toss with pasta to coat. This will prevent the pasta sticking together while you make the sauce.16 oz Ziti pasta, 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, Mozzarella, chopped parsley, egg and oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.15 oz Ricotta cheese, 8 oz Mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup Parsley, 1 Egg, 1 teaspoon Oregano, ½ teaspoon Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- Add the pasta sauce to the bowl of mixed cheese mixture.24 oz Pasta sauce
- Mix the pasta sauce into the the cheese, egg, and spice mixture until evenly combined.
- Transfer the pasta sauce and cheese mixture to the pan of drained cooked ziti noodles and stir until all the ziti pasta is coated.
- Pour the ziti and pasta sauce mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole or other shallow baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and lightly cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove and garnish with additional chopped parsley if desired.3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Notes
- To make sure that your pasta is cooked al dente, be sure to follow the package directions. Al dente pasta is slightly firm to the bite and will not become mushy when baked.
- If you want a richer flavor, you can use whole milk ricotta cheese.
- For a meaty version of this dish, add cooked ground beef or sausage to the ricotta cheese mixture.
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