Baked Ziti With Spinach, Zucchini & Mushrooms

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50 minutes

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This easy baked ziti with spinach will have your family begging for seconds (and your kids won’t even complain about eating their veggies).

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It’s not always easy to get kids to eat their veggies. I’ve even been known to be a little sneaky about it, like making zucchini noodles, turkey meatloaf with spinach and mushrooms or this pasta with broccoli. The kids tend not to notice as much when you bake them right into the recipe!

That’s why my girls go crazy for this and tell me it’s the best baked ziti recipe they’ve ever tasted. Okay, it may be the only baked ziti they’ve tasted but still, a compliment is a compliment, right?

Easy Baked Ziti

I love making this baked ziti with spinach, zucchini and mushrooms but you can switch it up and add any veggies you like. We also add ground turkey but you can leave that out if you like your baked ziti vegetarian style.  

Start by chopping the veggies and parsley. Set the parsley aside for later.

Veggies for baked ziti recipe

Put the pasta on the stove to boil. While your waiting for the pasta, saute the zucchini.  

Sauteing zucchini in pan

After sauteing the zucchini for three minutes, add the spinach and mushrooms and saute for another two minutes.   

Sauteing veggies for baked ziti

Remove from heat and brown the ground turkey.  Drain and pour into a mixing bowl, then add the veggies. 

Combining veggies and ground turkey

Stir in garlic and herbs.

Adding herbs to baked ziti ingredients

Add pasta sauce and stir well.

Stir spaghetti sauce into veggie and turkey mixture

Take a couple of spoonfuls for the sauce and cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass pan or casserole dish.

Adding a layer of sauce to baking dish

Add 1/2 of your ziti, 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce, 1/2 of the ricotta.

Layering the ingredients for baked ziti dish

Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella over the top.  

Adding a layer of shredded mozzarella

Repeat this step with the remaining ingredients and top with parmesan cheese.

Baked ziti recipe ready for the oven

Bake for 20 minutes and let stand for five minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Finished baked ziti with spinach recipe

This recipe is so good and my family always wants seconds. The best part is that you’ll probably have leftovers so you’re off dinner duty the next night. You’re welcome!

Serving baked ziti

My girls love this ziti recipe and happy kids make for a happy mom! 

Baked ziti with ground turkey and veggies

It’s so good your family will be asking for seconds. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you cook baked ziti?

Because the ground beef and pasta are pre-cooked, you’re really just heating everything up and melting the cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes and you’re good to go.

Can you freeze baked ziti?

We freeze this baked ziti all the time. I just take what’s left over and cut it into individual servings, then put in freezer bags. They’re good for up to a month. They may even be good longer than that but a month is the longest we’ve ever frozen them.

How do you reheat baked ziti?

We just reheat our baked ziti in the microwave. However, you can always sprinkle more cheese over the top and reheat in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350.

What meat can you add to baked ziti?

We usually make our ziti with ground turkey but you can also use regular ground beef, ground chicken or sausage.

Can you make baked ziti ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this the night before, cover tightly with plastic wrap and bake the next day (makes life so easy!)

Easy baked ziti FB
4.56 from 75 votes

Baked Ziti With Spinach, Zucchini and Mushrooms


Author Lisa O’Driscoll | Fun Money Mom
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
The kids will love eating their veggies when you serve this delicious baked ziti with spinach, zucchini and mushrooms

Ingredients
 

  • 1 lb box ziti
  • 2 24 oz jars pasta sauce
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 4 oz mushrooms
  • 8 oz part skim ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups part skim mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • Extra parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Cook ziti according to package
  • Chop zucchini, spinach, mushrooms and parsley.
  • Set parsley aside.
  • Saute zucchini in olive oil for three minutes. Add spinach and mushrooms and saute for two additional minutes.
  • Cook ground turkey and pour into large bowl.
  • Add sauteed mixture, parsley, oregano, basil, garlic and pasta sauce. Stir.
  • Cover the bottom of a 9×13 glass pan (or casserole dish) with a thin layer of the meat & veggie mixture.
  • Add 1/2 of the cooked ziti.
  • Next, add 1/2 of the remaining meat & veggie mixture.
  • Add 1/2 of the ricotta.
  • Add 1/2 of the mozzarella.
  • Repeat.
  • Top with parmesan cheese.
  • Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
  • Garnish with extra parsley.

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 554mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Share it with me on Instagram @funmoneymom and follow on Pinterest @funmoneymom for more!

Taking a bite of baked ziti

If you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies, just give this easy baked ziti a try!

If you liked this recipe, you can find more delicious main courses here or check out the recipes below…

Mushroom & Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos

Turkey Meatloaf with spinach facebook

Turkey Meatloaf With Spinach, Feta And Mushrooms

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5 stars
Looks absolutely yummy! Thank you for the recipe too.

Yummy! What a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies. No pancakes though? That is strange! 😉

This looks so yummy! I’m pinning it for later. Always looking for way to sneak more veggies into our diet.

Stopping by from the Titus 2 Tuesday Link Up. This looks fantastic! I’ve recently been thinking it would be good for me to start sneaking some veggies into our usual family meals! Thanks!

5 stars
This looks amazingly delicious, Lisa! Thanks for sharing with #SocialButterflySunday! Hope to see you link up again this week 🙂

I love finding ways to hide veggies in our meals! I will definitely be making this one!

Oh my GOODNESS! I wanted to eat your photos – every. single. one!!!
Love the recipe…I’m a “sneak-er”, too – LOL
Thanks for sharing this over on Coffee & Conversation today!!

Yum!! I love hiding veggies in pasta 🙂 Adding this to my “recipes to try” pinterest board! Can’t wait.

5 stars
Looks so yummy! You could also make it with whole wheat noodles to add fiber. I’ve been using whole wheat everything since my kids were little and they don’t know the difference now! I love the addition of zucchini & spinach. Stopping by from While I’m Waiting Wednesday link up. Have a great weekend!

This looks really delicious! My toddler would spot the tiny green flecks from a mile away, but that’s okay because then there’d be more for me to eat! 🙂 Pinning!

5 stars
This is great! Over the summer I tutor my niece then I make her dinner. She is a picky eater, but I want to make sure she eats healthy. I love your recipe! Ragu is my favorite sauce too.

I’m pretty sure my boys would notice the veggies since they are a tween and a teenager but they try almost anything now and I think this dish would be a hit!

This is a good way to get me to eat my veggies, hah. I love baked ziti & now my mouth is watering!

I love sneaking in a few extra veggies in things like pasta sauce for my little dude! He’ll eat anything covered in sauce and cheese 🙂

This is a great easy Recipe. I just made it waiting for it to cool down alittle. I tasted a corner side. Its absolutely Delicious!!!!!

Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday! Pinned and tweeted 🙂

I absolutely love baked ziti and this looks like a great recipe! Love that it has the extra vegies in it! Thanks for sharing! #SmallVictories

You never said what to do with the garlic?

How many servings is this considered?

I love this recipe!!

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