Vegetarian Baked Spaghetti

This super tasty vegetarian baked spaghetti is absolutely delicious! I’m sure you and your family will go back for a little extra. I must confess: I did. Though it’s meatless, you’ll find this baked ziti to be super tasty indeed. It’s sure to please both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

For this baked spaghetti, I used whole-wheat spaghetti instead of regular. It adds so much extra flavor and tastiness. And it’s also good for you. Trust me on this one:)

What Makes This Baked Spaghetti So Tasty

This vegetarian baked spaghetti recipe calls for marinara sauce, ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese. Also, the addition of fresh baby spinach – which has many health benefits.

These simple ingredients all contribute to the amazing taste and flavor of this vegetarian baked spaghetti.

*Just so you know – the leftovers taste just as delicious, or even more so!*

Last but not least, this baked spaghetti is really easy to make. And these easy whole-grain cheddar rolls would go perfect with it.

Jarred or Homemade Marinara Sauce?

In regards to the marinara sauce, you’re free to use jarred or homemade. It’s just less time consuming and more convenient if you use a jarred marinara sauce.

Now, there’s some really decent high quality jarred pasta sauces out there that are close to homemade. Particularly organic ones.

Most grocery stores nowadays have their own brand of organic pasta/marinara sauces. Please try them out if you haven’t tried any before.

They’re usually made with the best natural ingredients. And they have such a fresh authentic taste, without the inclusion of any artificial ingredients or preservatives.

Whole-Wheat Pasta: The Better Choice

You can use regular spaghetti to make this dish if you prefer to. I have nothing against it myself in moderation.

But the nutritional value of whole-wheat pasta is a big plus. And it tastes really good too.

I grew up on regular pasta, and that’s all I knew. It’s just during the past couple of years that I even noticed whole-wheat pasta.

I now prefer whole-wheat pasta to regular. There’s just something about that whole-grain aspect, I guess. And the nutty flavor that it brings.

That’s why I’m so glad I chose to use whole-wheat spaghetti for this vegetarian baked spaghetti. The flavor and texture of it is in perfect balance with all the other ingredients.

An Acquired Taste For Most People

I can’t say that I immediately warmed up to whole-wheat pasta after my first bite. It actually took a couple of times of eating it before I really started to appreciate the texture and taste.

So if you’re turned off by the thought of eating whole-wheat pasta, please just give it a chance. It won’t taste like what you’re used to at first.

But hopefully you’ll see how good it is, just as I did. If at first you still don’t like it, maybe try using a different brand before giving up on it completely.

Can Regular Spaghetti Be Used For This Recipe?

This baked spaghetti would be just as delicious with regular pasta. But I don’t think it would have the same dimension or level of flavor that whole-wheat spaghetti brings.

And regular pasta is not as health beneficial as whole-wheat pasta. Therefore I recommend that you use whole-wheat spaghetti for this recipe. Either way, the kind of spaghetti you use is up to you.

How To Make This Easy Baked Spaghetti

I created this vegetarian baked spaghetti to be no-fuss and not at all complicated to make.

I’ve listed the steps below on how you will make the spaghetti.

1. The very first thing to do is to preheat your oven. This way, it can be at the proper temperature and ready for you to bake the spaghetti right away.
2. The second thing to do is to boil the spaghetti to al dente. This term means to not cook it till its really soft – since it will be baked for about 30 minutes afterwards.
3. After the spaghetti is done, and before you drain it; it’s time to add in the spinach. You will stir the spinach in, then drain the spaghetti and set aside.
   
   The spinach will soften almost immediately, and will cook further during the baking.
4. After this, you will combine the marinara sauce + the ricotta cheese together. Then heat it for a few minutes until the cheese breaks up and melts into the sauce.
   
   Now it’s time to combine the sauce with the drained spaghetti, then add the mixture to a greased casserole dish.
5. Before baking the spaghetti, you can top it with shredded mozzarella cheese (or whatever kind you prefer); and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if you’d like. Now it’s ready to be baked!

Vegetarian Baked Spaghetti Ingredients:

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this baked spaghetti. There’s only but a few needed:

**(Large casserole dish, preferably around 11×8 inches, or a 13×9 inch pan if you prefer)

**Whole-Wheat (or regular) spaghetti

**Jar (or homemade) marinara sauce (25 oz)

**Fresh baby spinach

**Ricotta Cheese (or some people prefer cottage cheese): Use reduced fat or full-fat.

**Shredded mozzarella (or other kind) cheese: Use reduced fat or regular.

**Parmesan cheese

And while you’re here, I also recommend that you check out these other tasty and easy recipes:

Healthy Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

Pizza Dough With Wheat Flour

Amazing Lazy Baked Pasta With Tuna

Easy Cornmeal Pizza Dough Recipe

Even More Tasty Main Dish Recipes for You to Enjoy

I hope you and your family enjoy this delicious baked spaghetti recipe. Do let me know if you have any questions or feedback on it. Thank you so much!

Vegetarian Baked Spaghetti

Homecooknblog

This tasty baked spaghetti is sure to have everyone asking for seconds! With fresh spinach and the addition of ricotta cheese, it’s sure to please everyone’s palate.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 448.64 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 16 oz spaghetti (whole-wheat or regular)
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 25 oz jar marinara sauce (or same amount homemade sauce)
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10×8 inch casserole dish or a 13×9 inch baking pan for more room.

  Cook spaghetti noodles to al dente in a large pot.

  **Right before draining the spaghetti, add the spinach to it and combine. This will soften the spinach some.

  The spinach will finish cooking as the spaghetti bakes**

  Set the spaghetti/spinach mixture aside..
• Add the marinara sauce, parmesan cheese, salt, and ricotta cheese to a medium-large bowl.

  Heat together for a few minutes in the microwave or on the stove.

  It doesn’t have to be all the way hot. Just till the ricotta breaks up and melts into the sauce. Stir well.
• Add the sauce to the spaghetti, and toss together until the spaghetti is completely coated in the sauce.

  Add the spaghetti mixture to the greased baking dish.

  Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese and more parmesan if desired.
• Bake for 20 minutes uncovered.

  Then cover loosely with foil* and bake for an extra 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted, and the pasta is fully heated throughout.

  *This also helps to keep the top layer of spaghetti from getting too hard and crispy*
• Before serving, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and an extra sprinkle of parmesan. Enjoy!

Keyword easy recipe, italian cuisine, pasta, pasta recipe, spaghetti