Meatless Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 1 package ziti pasta , 16 ounce
• 1 pound shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 container whole-milk ricotta cheese , 15 ounce
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese , divided
• 0.5 cups grated Romano cheese
• 0.5 medium yellow onion , chopped
• 0.25 cups chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 0.25 teaspoons ground thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 cups marinara sauce , divided

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.

3. 3

   Combine mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, onion, parsley, egg, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in ziti and 2 cups marinara sauce.

4. 4

   Spread 1 cup marinara in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish to coat. Pour ziti mixture into the dish; top with remaining 1 cup marinara, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover dish with aluminum foil.

5. 5

   Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking until bubbly and cheese browned, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven; let sit 10 minutes before serving.