Veggie 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!
CARBS is the best gift you can give someone. This Veggie Baked Ziti with Burrata is meant for two people. It’s a meal of love. Of romance.
Is there anything more romantic and gorgeous than a ball of melty burrata on warm pasta. I think not!
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.
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.
How to Make Baked Ziti For Two
- Cook the veggies. In this baked ziti we have diced mushrooms, diced carrot, red bell pepper and garlic.
- Next, add the crushed tomatoes. And add a bit of water. This sauce will marry all the flavors and make it thicken it slightly.
- Mix in the ricotta and mozzarella. We want the marinara sauce to be nice and cheese. This will make the ziti extra delicious!
- Boil the pasta. Just until al dente.
- Then, mix in the pasta with the sauce.
- Divide the pasta amongst small cast iron skillets or a small baking dish.
- Top it with more mozzarella and then bake!
- 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.
This baked ziti is for a date night at home. I say stay in and make this instead. This is perfect for two people. But obviously, double it if you have more people coming over. Quadruple it for more people. Below (in the notes) you’ll find the sizes of the baking dishes that are recommended.
If you make this Veggie Baked Ziti with Burrata, lemme know via Instagram or in the comments below.

Veggie Baked Ziti for Two Recipe
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
Equipment
Nutrition
Looking for more pasta recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
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 ❤️
hi! not sure tbh since they’re sort of a big part of the dish. i suppose you could simply leave them out!
Made this recently, but doubled everything so we’d have leftovers. It was SO good! My meat-lover fiancé loved it too. It was filling, creamy, and packed full of flavor. The only thing I changed (besides doubling) was to add diced mushrooms and chopped spinach for some extra nutrients. After a weekend eating the most luxurious food in Carmel with a girlfriend of mine I am desperately needing some veg detox and this was perfect to ease me back into things!
That looks delicious! Comfort food recipes will always find a way to me eventually, I love trying new things.
https://www.puro.pk/
I want to cry looking at it. Have fun in Big Bear!
Gaaaaah I live for these casseroles – sadly my hubs is a Type 1 and we can no longer eat this food. Womp Womp.
Soooooooo this looks delicious and – after skimming the recipe to see if I could make it dairy free (I can) (TOFU + CASHEWS FTW) – I realized it calls for 1/2 pound of ziti AND serves two. Then I felt some serious shame because I totally eat 1/2 pound of ziti.. by myself. :-\\
Anyway. I can’t wait to see Amelia in that parka. Have fun in Big Bear! <3
How much pasta?
1/2 pound! Adding it now!
Thanks. I’m going to make this tonight.
This is my idea of the most perfect meal ever. Like, throw in a perfect brownie and I’ll consider asking for this as my last meal.
Pasta+Burrata= Romance. This looks so, so good. 🙂
This looks great! it’s obvious that it is needed but I believe you left out the ziti in the ingredients list.
I may make this for Valentine’s Day!
I am always looking for baked pasta dishes, I always make a double batch – one for our tummies and one for the freezer 🙂
A vegetarian version is even better as the boyfriend and I are trying to be more mindful and we’re cutting down on our meat.
We’re having a cold spell here and I bought a coat for my puppy (https://www.instagram.com/p/BA2dvE9HLPn/), he refuses to wear the damn thing!
Have a lovely holiday, I have a week away coming up in about a month and I’m on constant countdown to it!