May 10, 2022
Skillet Baked Ziti
This Skillet Baked Ziti is comfort food at its finest! Ziti pasta is tossed in meaty sauce and creamy vegan cheese, then baked to golden-brown, melty perfection. The best part? This dish is made in just one pan, making for an easy AND delicious meal that the entire family is sure to love!
skillet baked ziti
I am in LOVE with this skillet baked ziti! It’s easy, comforting and made in just one pan! Perfect for weeknight dinners, but decadent enough to serve for a romantic date-night in or intimate dinner party. Oh yeah, it’s freezer friendly, too! Seriously, this dish is impressive – and it’s so good, no one will ever know it’s vegan ????
Grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’ the best skillet baked ziti!
ingredients you need to make skillet baked ziti (plus substitutions)
One skillet and handful of ingredients are all it takes to make this dish! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Avocado oil: or any neutral oil
- Vegan Italian-style sausage: I like to use Beyond Meat Spicy Italian-Style Sausage, but feel free to use any brand you love and find accessible! Some other brands I’ve used for this recipe are Impossible Spicy Sausage and Lightlife Italian Sausage. If you’re unable to access plant-based Italian-style sausages, you can substitute for vegan ground or TVP. Please note that if using TVP, cooking times and preparation might vary.
- Shallot: or red onion
- Garlic
- Fresh minced parsley: or 3 tablespoons dried parsley
- Coconut sugar: I always add a little sugar to my raga-style pasta sauces to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. You can definitely leave this out or substitute equal portions vegan-friendly granulated sugar
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes: feel free to omit, but I like a little bit of spice!
- Ground fennel: if you’re subbing plant based ground, the fennel will help add a “sausage-y” flavor!
- Crushed tomatoes
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes
- Bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Ziti pasta: or any short pasta such as penne, rigatoni, or mostaccioli. Additionally, you can sub gluten free noodles to make this dish gf! please note cooking times and preparation may vary.
- Vegan mozzarella shreds
- Vegan parmesan, plus more for garnish
- Fresh basil
how to make skillet baked ziti
Not only is this skillet baked ziti super delicious, it’s also SO EASY to prepare! Here’s how to make it in just 5 easy steps!
1. Preheat your oven:
to 450°F.
2. Saute:
while the oven is preheating, saute the sausage until heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, then season with the parsley, coconut sugar, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and ground fennel, mixing to combine. Next, pour in the tomatoes, water, and bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, then toss in the noodles, and 1 cup of mozzarella shreds. Give the pasta a good mix to ensure the noodles are tossed in the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cup mozzarella shreds and parmesan shreds on top of the pasta in an even layer.
3. cover and bake:
cover and bake in the oven until the noodles are cooked through and the cheese is melty, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. uncover and bake a little longer:
Remove the lid and place bake into the oven until the cheese is bubbling and golden around the edges, 5 to 10 minutes. Additionally, you can broil the baked ziti for a few minutes.
5. enjoy!
Remove from the oven and serve with vegan parmesan, fresh parsley and basil, and enjoy!
how to freeze skillet baked ziti
I always have at least one freezer-friendly meal that’s ready to pop in the oven for those days I really don’t want to cook, but also want something homemade and cozy. This skillet baked ziti is perfect for making ahead and/or freezing! To do so, prepare the pasta according to the directions, stopping before topping it off with the remaining cheese. Transfer the pasta to an oven-safe 9×13″ baking dish, top with the renaming cheese and cover tightly. Place in the refrigerator or freezer. If baking from frozen, remove the pasta from the freezer and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Bake, covered, at 450°F for 25 to 30 minutes, then uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes. If baking from from the refrigerator, bake according to the original recipe directions.
The ziti will last up to 2 months if stored properly in the freezer, and up to 5 days when stored properly in the refrigerator.
tools you need to make skillet baked ziti:
more drool-worthy skillet baked dishes:
- Cheesy Gochujang Skillet Fried Rice
- Skillet Enchilada Chick’n & Rice Bake
- Skillet Gnocchi with Pistachio Pesto
- Creamy Skillet Mediterranean-Inspired Chick’n & Orzo
- Broccoli Cheddar Biscuit Pot Pie
Bon Appétit!!!
If you give my skillet baked ziti a try, let me know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
Til next time, friends!
xo!
Skillet Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- • 14 ounces vegan Italian-style sausages
- • 1 large shallot minced
- • 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- • ¼ cup fresh minced parsley plus more for garnish
- • 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
- • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- • ½ teaspoon ground fennel
- • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- • 1 15-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- • 2 bay leaves
- • ½ teaspoon salt and pepper plus more to taste
- • 12 ounces uncooked ziti noodles
- • 2 cups vegan mozzarella shreds divided
- • 1 cup vegan parmesan plus more for garnish
- • Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Heat the oil a large oven-safe sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sausage, breaking it up into bite size pieces with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook, stirring often, until heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Season with the parsley, coconut sugar, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and ground fennel, mixing to combine.
- Next, pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with their juices, and 1 cup of water. Add the bay leaves, salt and pepper, noodles, and 1 cup of mozzarella shreds. Give the pasta a good mix to ensure the noodles are tossed in the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cup mozzarella shreds and parmesan shreds on top of the pasta in an even layer.
- Cover and bake in the oven until the noodles are cooked through and the cheese is melty, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid and place bake into the oven until the cheese is bubbling and golden around the edges, 5 to 10 minutes. Additionally, you can broil the baked ziti for a few minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve with vegan parmesan, fresh parsley and basil, and enjoy!
Notes
Hi – If I made this, skipped baking and froze it, would it bake well a few days later? Looking for freezer friendly meals. Any tips for this recipe to make it freezer friendly?
Hi Bernadette!
Yes, you could freeze it, but you have to assemble the dish with partially cooked noodles. Then, prepare the dish as instructed and transfer it to a freezer-safe baking pan. Cover and freeze up to 3 months! Once ready, bake in a 350 F degree oven for 60 to 90 minutes, until cooked through. Start checking it at the 60 minute mark! Hope this helps 🙂