Do you ever get tired of cleaning up a pile of dishes and slaving over the stove at dinnertime? That’s where the beauty of sheet pan dinners come in! Toss all of your ingredients on one pan, bake in the oven, and in no time, dinner is served. Let’s dive into my take on Easy Cheesy Sheet Pan Baked Ziti With Cauliflower one step at a time!
The Noodles
My family dinner Easy Cheesy Sheet Pan Baked Ziti With Cauliflower doesn’t require much work. I use gluten free penne pasta noodle in place of the classic ziti noodle. The authentic ziti noodle is known as an extruded pasta shaped into a long, wide tube, similar to a bucatini but thicker. If neither of those interest you, use whatever pasta shape you have in your pantry. You can find my gluten free pasta staples here on my Amazon shop page along with my other pantry staples.
Sheet Pan Swap For Casserole Dish
Baked ziti is traditionally served in a oven safe casserole dish. For my Easy Cheesy Sheet Pan Baked Ziti With Cauliflower, I am using a large 9×13 baking sheet. To make your sheet pan dinner even more effortless (and yes free!) line your parchment paper so that clean-up later is a breeze. You’ll still experience the mouth-watering crispy cheese edges and the creamy sauce oozing from underneath it!
The Vegetables
I love sneaking cauliflower into this dish. It not only helps get your kids to eat vegetables but it also adds texture and lightens up the dish for all diners. I personally sometimes make this without the pasta at all! I like to lightly steam the cauliflower in my sheet pan baked ziti because it will cook faster but in a pinch you could toss it raw. If you decide to add the cauliflower raw, just cut smaller it into smaller chunks so they cook all the way through. You can also add as many vegetables as you like or use this dish as way of using up veggies in your fridge. Try mushrooms, zucchini, squash or anything you have will go great in your baked ziti!
Sauce and Cheese
I try to keep ingredients simple using a store bought pasta sauce or a marinara on the noodles before I cover the ingredients with shredded cheese. If you have a favorite sauce use it! Alternatively, give my quick and easy 6-Ingredient Homemade Marinara Sauce a try. For the cheese, same as the sauce, use what you love. Try Daiya cheese. It melts evenly, it tastes amazing, and it is easy on your belly. Or use any shredded mozzarella or cheddar and some Parmesan. There are no rules here so have a little sprinkling fun!
How To Make Sheet Pan Baked Ziti
Watch me on Good Day Atlanta as I show you how easy it is to make a sheet pan baked ziti with a secret ingredient that adds texture and nutrition and lightens up this meal. I make mine with gluten free pasta but use whatever your preferences are! Follow along with the recipe below!
If you loved this sheet pan meal idea, you will love my Sheet Pan Sunny Side up Eggs. They are a game changer when it comes to preparing a delicious healthy breakfast any time of day.
Easy Cheesy Sheet Pan Baked Ziti With Cauliflower
Make dinner a cinch with my easy sheet pan dinner idea. Forget the prep, toss it all on one pan!
Ingredients
- 1 box pasta noodles cooked, read above for my recommendations
- 1 ½ cup marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded Cheese
- 2 cups cauliflower rough chopped, steamed
Instructions
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Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. For foil, be sure to grease foil with non-stick spray. Set aside.
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Add cooked pasta, cauliflower, sauce, then cheese onto your pan.
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Bake for 25 minutes.
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Allow to rest for 2 minutes, serve warm.
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Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
To speed up the process, use cauliflower from the frozen section in a bag ready to be steamed and eaten.
You can also keep the cauliflower raw broken into florets then added to your pan. They will roast and provide a touch of texture to the dish. Try out both ways!
