No onion no garlic Baked Ziti is one of my favorite comfort food recipes. There is something magical about the combination of pasta, a wonderful no onion no garlic sauce, and ricotta cheese. Together, they create a symphony of the flavors, and brighten up any meal. In my family, no onion no garlic Baked Ziti casserole is one of the most popular meals during cold and gloomy winter days. We love to make Baked Ziti for meal prep or as a make-ahead meal when we have guests over.
This no onion no garlic Baked Ziti recipe is made without alliums, making it a perfect meal for all of us with allium allergy or if you have allium intolerance. I hope you enjoy this no onion no garlic Baked Ziti recipe as much as I do!
If you are looking for more delicious no onion no garlic pasta recipes, then you’ll love Bacon & Cottage Cheese Pasta, Marry Me Chicken Pasta, and Low Fat Vegetable Casserole.
Ingredients that you need for no onion no garlic Baked Ziti
- Ground meat – use your favorite ground meat. This recipe works amazingly with ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork. My family loves ground beef the most.
- Pasta – use any short tubular – shaped pasta, like ziti or penne.
- Ricotta cheese
- Tomato paste
- Canned chopped tomatoes
- Cheddar cheese – instead of cheddar cheese, you can use any semi-hard cheese to top the no onion no garlic Baked Ziti.
- Dried basil
- Dried thyme
- Ground rosemary
- Parsley flakes
- Salt
- Pepper (optional) – if you can’t eat pepper, you can omit it, it won’t affect the recipe.
- Water
Equipment that you need
- Baking dish
- Skillet
- Pot
- Wooden spoons
- Colander
- Cheese grater
- Bowl
- Fork
- Aluminum foil
- Oven mittens
- Spoon
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Spatula
How to make no onion no garlic Baked Ziti casserole?
The first step in making no onion no garlic Baked Ziti is browning the ground meat. Be sure to break up any large chunks into smaller pieces, as this will help the no onion no garlic Baked Ziti sauce taste better. Once the ground meat is completely browned, add dried basil, dried thyme, ground rosemary, parsley flakes, pepper, and salt. Be generous with the salt, as the pasta will absorb some of the sauce and its saltiness (you can add more salt after the sauce is done if needed).
Next, stir in the tomato paste and canned chopped tomatoes. Once combined, add water and let it simmer for about 7 to 10 minutes. The sauce should be liquidy, so if it seems too thick, add a bit more water. While the sauce is simmering, fluff the ricotta cheese with a fork (optional, but I find it tastier when fluffed). Also, parboil the pasta by cooking it for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. After it is cooked, drain the pasta.
Now, remove ½ cup of sauce, and spread it evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. This will help prevent sticking.
Toss the drained pasta with the remaining sauce in the skillet, making sure the pasta is evenly coated.
Add half of the pasta to the baking dish, and spread it evenly.
Evenly distribute half of the ricotta cheese in small dollops over the pasta.
Gently add the remaining pasta to the baking dish, spreading it evenly to cover the ricotta dollops.
Top the pasta with the remaining ricotta cheese in small dollops. Then, cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake it for about 20 minutes at 355°F/180°C.
After 20 minutes, remove the Baked Ziti from the oven, take off the foil, and sprinkle grated cheese over the top. Bake for a few more minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Can you make Baked Ziti without ricotta cheese?
Yes you can, and here are a few suggestions on how to replace ricotta cheese.
- Cottage cheese – add small dollops over pasta.
- Sour cream – add small dollops over pasta.
- Greek yoghurt – add small dollops over pasta.
- Low fat plain yoghurt – for a low fat version of this meal, you can use low fat plain yoghurt in small dollops over pasta, and skip on the grated cheese on the top. It will be tasty, and a low fat version.
- Grated semi-hard cheese – add a bit of grated cheese in the middle for extra cheesiness of the meal.
- Nothing – if you don’t have ricotta cheese or you don’t like it, you can omit it from the recipe. It will still be delicious without any cheese in the middle.
How to store no onion no garlic Baked Ziti?
Refrigerator
The no onion no garlic Baked Ziti is an amazing make-ahead or meal prep recipe. Once baked, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze Baked Ziti without onion and garlic?
Of course! Once you finish baking the Baked Ziti casserole, let it cool to room temperature. Then, place it in an airtight container, label it with the date and name of the meal, and put it in the freezer. You can freeze Baked Ziti for up to 3 months.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground meat 450g
- 12 oz dry ziti or penne 340g
- 1 cup ricotta cheese 250g
- 5 teaspoons tomato paste
- 15 oz canned chopped tomato 450g
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 ½ cups water 600 ml
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 oz cheddar cheese or any other semi-hard cheese 120g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355℉/180℃.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil gets hot (in a few moments), add the ground meat and season with a pinch of salt. Saute the meat, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.
- Once the ground meat is browned, and in small chunks, add dried basil, parsley flakes, ground rosemary, dried thyme, pepper, and additional salt to taste. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in tomato paste, canned chopped tomatoes, then add water. Simmer the sauce for about 7 to 10 minutes. While the sauce simmers, fluff the ricotta cheese with a fork.
- While the sauce is simmering, parboil the pasta, cooking it for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain the pasta.
- Remove ½ cup of sauce, and spread it evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. Then, toss the drained pasta with the remaining sauce in the skillet.
- Add half of the pasta to the baking dish. Evenly distribute half of the ricotta cheese over the pasta in small dollops.
- Add the remaining pasta to the baking dish, and top evenly with the remaining ricotta cheese in small dollops.
- Cover the baking dish with the aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top.
- Return it to the oven and bake for a few more minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Need more recipe ideas?
Check out these recipes:
- Turkey casserole no onion no garlic
- Low FODMAP chicken ragout
- Creamy Carrot Potato Soup
- Oven-baked oat crusted tenderloin
- Gallstone friendly hummus
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