Baked Ziti for Two

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This Baked Ziti for Two is the perfect recipe for a cozy night in. This veggie bolognese is baked with ziti, mozzarella and topped with burrata! It’s easy and delicious and serves two exactly. Serve it with my Red Velvet Lava Cakes and Cranberry Margaritas for a romantic dinner for two.

Veggie Baked Ziti with Burrata

CARBS is the best gift you can give someone. This Baked Ziti with Burrata is meant for two people. It’s a meal of love. Of romance.

Truth be told, I love Valentine’s Day. It’s cheesy and corny but it’s fun! I want to make Conversation Cupcakes and Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies and hand them out to all my friends. It’s a day about love and that doesn’t mean exclusively romantic love.

Why Baked Ziti Is Amazing

When I think of cold temperatures and autumn and cold nights, I think of baked pastas as the cure all.

Baked ziti is one of my favorite meals that hail from the gorgeous state of New Jersey. JK JK. While most would think that baked ziti is a super Americanized Italian dish, it actually is straight from Italy. Ziti al forno (baked ziti) has a history going back to the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Now, it’s very common in Southern Italy: Sicily, Naples, Amalfi and Salerno.

Veggie Baked Ziti (For Two) with Burrata

Why Veggie Baked Ziti

Well, why not. I love so many dishes when they make a vegetarian turn. This is indulgent enough. We’re talking mozzarella AND burrata. Making it a bit lighter by skipping the meat and replacing it with diced mushrooms, carrots and red bell pepper is nice.

he sauce is mixed with a bit of mozzarella and ricotta for some lightness. And then the whole thing is baked. At the very end, you add half a ball of burrata to each dish and then put it back in the oven until it’s juuuust melty. The results are SO GOOD it made me want to cry.

Veggie Baked Ziti (For Two) with Burrata

How to Make Baked Ziti For Two

  1. Cook the veggies. In this baked ziti we have diced mushrooms, diced carrot, red bell pepper and garlic.
  2. Next, add the crushed tomatoes. And add a bit of water. This sauce will marry all the flavors and make it thicken it slightly.
  3. Mix in the ricotta and mozzarella. We want the marinara sauce to be nice and cheese. This will make the ziti extra delicious!
  4. Boil the pasta. Just until al dente.
  5. Then, mix in the pasta with the sauce.
  6. Divide the pasta amongst small cast iron skillets or a small baking dish.
  7. Top it with more mozzarella and then bake!
  8. When they come out of the oven, add a ball of burrata to the top. And then transfer to the oven until they’re a bit more warmed.

Recipe FAQs

Can I double this recipe?

Absolutely. If you want to make this for more people, just double the recipe below and it’ll feed four people comfortably.

Can I add meat to this recipe?

Yep, feel free to add ground beef or ground pork. This will obviously result in more sauce so it can easy feed 4 people if you add a pound of ground meat.

More Cozy Romantic Recipes to Make

If you tried this Baked Ziti for Two Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

5 from 2 votes

Veggie Baked Ziti for Two Recipe

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 2
Veggie Baked Ziti with Burrata for two people. This is a date-night at home type of recipe. Veggie bolognese is baked with cheese and pasta.

Equipment

  • 2 mini cast iron skillets OR 8×8-inch baking dish

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral oil
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 cremini or button mushrooms, stems removed and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes, (from a can) or store-bought marinara sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes , plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, plus a 1 tablespoon for topping
  • 1/3 cup ricotta
  • 1 ball of burrata
  • 1/2 pound ziti pasta , (or another choice of pasta)
  • Basil leaves or Italian parsley, for garnish

Instructions 

To Make the Veggie Bolognese:

  • In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is warm, add the carrot, red bell pepper and diced mushrooms. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Next, mix in the minced garlic, crushed tomatoes or marinara sauce, salt and crushed red pepper and 1/4 cup of water. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 7 to 8 minutes. When the sauce has thickened, add the mozzarella and ricotta and mix it until combined.
  • Meanwhile, to a pot of salted boiling water, add the ziti and cook until al dente. Drain and add to the pot with the sauce and mix until the ziti is thoroughly coated in sauce.

To Bake the Ziti:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Let’s talk about the vessel. You can use two mini cast iron pans. Or you could use one small 8-inch baking dish or even a loaf pan would work nicely. add the ziti amongst whatever vessel or vessels you’re using. Top with a small sprinkling of mozzarella. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  • At the 20 minute mark, remove it from the oven. Remove the burrata from its casing and divide it into two portions (obviously if you’re using one 8-inch serving dish then don’t divide it).
  • Add it to the center of the ziti and place it back in the oven to bake for 3 minutes longer, just until it’s melty and warm. Garnish with a teeny bit of crushed red pepper and a few leaves of fresh basil or Italian parsley.

Notes

Notes on Serving Size! 
This current recipe serves 2 people but feel free to double it and you’ll have much more. You could even x this recipe by 4 to make it for a dinner party. 
For 2 people, if you don’t have 2 mini cast iron skillets, you can use an 8×8-inch baking dish. 
For 4 people, you can use a 9×9-inch baking dish. 
For 6 people, you can use a 9×13-inch baking dish or casserole. 
Equipment:
Mini Cast Iron Skillets | Medium Saucepan | Silicon Spatula | Colander | Chef’s Knife

Nutrition

Serving: 2g | Calories: 582kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 873mg | Potassium: 682mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1003IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 226mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Like this Recipe? Please Rate & comment below!

Cozy Latin-Inspired Comfort Food Recipes

Hi! I'm Adrianna and this is my cozy space on the internet that is super-charged by butter, flour and copious amounts of pasta. Stay awhile, will you!

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14 Comments

  1. hi! i’m thinking of making this for vday but my partner is not a fan of mushrooms. what would recommend as a replacement? thank you for these delicious recipes ❤️