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 a fast AND delicious meal that the entire family is sure to love!
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
If you don’t have an oven-safe sauté pan or cast-iron skillet, prepare the ziti according to directions, stopping before topping it off with the remaining cheese. Transfer the pasta to an oven-safe 9x13" baking dish, top with the renaming cheese, cover tightly, then bake according to directions
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