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Meatless Million Dollar Baked Ziti

This Meatless Million Dollar Baked Ziti is a lightened up take on the classic comfort food. Full of “meaty” mushrooms and four types of cheeses, your family will love this dish!

Meatless Million Dollar Baked Ziti

If you haven’t heard of “million dollar ziti”, you’re in for a treat!

This meatless million dollar baked ziti is packed full of flavor and my new favorite vegetarian pasta recipe!

Million dollar baked ziti is classically known for a creamy middle layer of cheesy goodness, sandwiched between meaty pasta sauce and topped with even more cheese on top.

As usual, we make meatless baked ziti around here, so this recipe is vegetarian.

Million Dollar Baked Ziti

Today I’m sharing that same classic favorite gone meatless.

I use meaty baby bella mushrooms and four different types of cheeses for an irresistible vegetarian baked ziti.

Mushrooms + cheese = a match made in heaven in my book.

meatless pasta recipe

How to make meatless baked ziti

Baby bellas are my mushroom of choice for making a “meat” sauce.

I used them in my easy Meatless Spaghetti Sauce and my vegetarian bolognese sauce, and they were the perfect choice for this million dollar ziti.

You can’t go wrong with mushrooms.

baby bella mushrooms

Dice into chunks for just the right texture.

Add them to a large pot or dutch oven (I used my dutch oven).

mushrooms

Add in fresh garlic and onion (more big flavor here) and cook it all up!

Once your mushrooms finish cooking, add in the pasta sauce and parmesan cheese and stir until combined.

meatless pasta sauce for ziti

The finished meat sauce.

Doesn’t that look good?

Now we are ready to start building our meatless baked ziti!

healthy dinner

After the pasta sauce is finished, you will mix it together with the cooked penne noodles.

Be sure to only cook your noodles to al dente, or a minute less, as overcooking will lead to mushy noodles.

Half of your sauce and noodle mixture goes into a big 13 X 9 baking dish.

baked ziti recipe

Next up: provolone cheese slices.

Cover the top of the ziti with provolone.

Million Dollar Baked Ziti

On top of the provolone, you’ll add the cream cheese layer, followed by the remaining pasta/sauce.

Top with lots of shredded mozzarella!

pasta recipe vegetarian

Bake for 15 – 20ish minutes, or until the cheese looks all browned and amazing like this!

Those browned cheesy bits are GOLD.

So yummy. My favorite part of baked pasta are those crispy cheesy edges!

This Meatless Million Dollar Baked Ziti Recipe is an easy and impressive vegetarian dinner

Top with parsley for a little pop of color, and you’re ready to serve!

I am so hungry looking at these pictures.

meaty vegetarian pasta

This has HUGE flavor thanks to four cheeses (cream cheese, provolone, parmesan, and mozzarella) and the addition of fresh basil and parsley.

Fresh herbs really bring any dish to the next level!

million dollar pasta

This makes a huge amount of food and will feed a crowd.

We love leftovers, so this easily feeds our family 3 – 4 times.

You could always freeze leftovers too!

ziti

The mushrooms really give this a meaty texture just like the classic favorite.

Serve this to any omnivore, one bite and they won’t even question you.

pasta dinner

If you loved my wildly popular crockpot baked ziti, you’ll love this one too.

easy meatless pasta recipe

Serve with veggies and garlic bread for the perfect pasta dinner.

I typically roast up a bag of frozen broccoli and we split our plates with half veggies and half pasta.

Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Be sure to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

baked ziti

meatless pasta recipes

Hungry for more?

Here are some more delicious meatless pasta recipes!

Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

Be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow Build Your Bite on Pinterest for all the latest delicious recipes!

This Meatless Million Dollar Baked Ziti Recipe is an easy and impressive vegetarian dinner. Full of meaty mushrooms, fresh herbs, and four types of cheese! #meatless #milliondollarziti #bakedziti #vegetarian #dinner

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a star rating below!

Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe

This Meatless Million Dollar Baked Ziti Recipe is an easy and impressive vegetarian dinner. Full of meaty mushrooms, fresh herbs, and four types of cheese! #meatless #milliondollarziti #bakedziti #vegetarian #dinner

Meatless Million Dollar Baked Ziti

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

The most delicious meatless baked ziti recipe. Your whole family will love the flavor in this vegetarian baked ziti!

Ingredients

  • 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup plain 0% greek yogurt (or use sour cream)
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
  • 3 - 4 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
  • 50 oz jarred pasta sauce (I used mushroom flavor)
  • 1 lb penne pasta
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 15 - 20 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 16 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped into chunks
  • 8 slices of provolone cheese

Instructions

  1. In a medium sized bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, greek yogurt (or sour cream), basil, and parsley. Set aside or place in the fridge
  2. In a dutch oven or large pot, add garlic, onion, mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
  3. Saute on medium high heat for 15 - 20 minutes, or until mushroom cook off their liquid
  4. Cook penne to al dente while mushrooms are cooking
  5. Once mushrooms finish cooking, add pasta sauce and 1 cup of parmesan cheese and remove from heat
  6. Add cooked penne to the sauce and stir. Salt to taste (I added another teaspoon of salt)
  7. In a large 13 X 9 dish, add half of the penne/sauce mixture
  8. Top with provolone cheese slices
  9. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the provolone, using a rubber spatula to smooth carefully
  10. Add remaining sauce/noodles
  11. Top with mozzarella cheese
  12. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly
  13. Garnish with parsley, if desired

Notes

I used 0% greek yogurt in place of sour cream to make it healthier. I didn't notice any flavor difference, but you can use sour cream in place if that's what you have!

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 515Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 1599mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 8gSugar: 16gProtein: 26g

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

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Sharon

Sunday 8th of May 2022

This was a hit with everyone. I made two of them - one gluten free which was delicious.

Mj

Thursday 20th of May 2021

Think this could be done in the crockpot? Layer of sauce on bottom, 1/2 of pasta, sauce, cheese, pasta, sauce- cook, top with cheese and cook until melted?

Joy Shull

Saturday 29th of May 2021

You could probably do it but need more liquid. You can use my crock pot ziti recipe for reference.

Shaliah Perkins

Tuesday 25th of December 2018

Made this for Christmas dinner, came out amazing. I added more cheese and some Italian seasoning.

Joy Shull

Wednesday 26th of December 2018

So glad you enjoyed the recipe!

Rob

Friday 29th of June 2018

This was amazing! Whole family loved it.

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