We were inspired by the original Rachel Ray recipe (linked below) to create this dairy-free version of her Sausage Baked Ziti! This was a really cool thing to make as a family-friendly meal prep dish, as it makes a lot of leftovers (our favorite). We also found that after making the dish, it ended up tasting better if you mixed the bechamel, cheeses, and tomato sauce together and then baked it, as everything combined better, but it’s simply a taste preference for us there. Try it either way and let us know which way you prefer in the comments below!
Rachel Ray Inspired Sausage Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ziti or other shaped pasta Feel free to use a higher protein pasta or GF pasta as well!
- 1 lb Italian sausage (optional)
- 1 cup Miyokos Creamery Cashew Milk Mozzarella Cheese Ball Shredded/torn
- ½ cup Goat cheddar cheese Shredded (could also use VioLife's Just like Parmesan cheese here)
- ½ cup Manchego cheese Shredded (optional)
Pasta Sauce & Veggies:
- 28 oz Whole peeled tomatoes (one can)
- 14 oz Crushed tomatoes (one can)
- 3 Cloves of garlic Finely chopped
- 1 Bell pepper Finely chopped
- 1 Vidalia onion Finely chopped
- ½ package Fresh spinach Shredded/torn
- ½ cup Fresh basil leaves Shredded/torn
- 6 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil (3 times around the pan, x2)
- 1 tsp Salt To taste
- 1 tsp Black pepper To taste
Bechamel Sauce:
- 2 cup Unsweetened almond milk Could also use oat or soy milk!
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour Could also substitute with cornstarch or a GF alternative if you'd like.
- 2 tbsp Non-dairy butter We love the Country Crock plant butter or Monty's cultured cashew butter logs!
- 2 ½ tbsp Nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp Cracked black pepper
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
Instructions
- Start by washing and chopping up all veggies mentioned above, setting aside for use later.
Make Tomato Sauce & Filling:
- Chop sausage into ½" to 1" rounds and cook in a large saucepan over medium heat with olive oil, flipping with tongs after 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Add olive oil, garlic, and onions to the pan and saute for 3 to 5 minutes until they become aromatic. Add the peppers and sauté with onions and garlic until softened.
- Chop the whole tomatoes (in a food processor if needed) and add them to the pan along with crushed tomatoes and salt, simmering 10 minutes.
- Add spinach and basil, and simmer over low heat for 10 more minutes.
- Put a large pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add salt and pasta, cooking for 7-8 minutes, leaving pasta a little al dente.
- Drain pasta and toss with olive oil or butter in a large, oven safe dish.
Make Bechamel Sauce:
- While the pasta cooks, make the bechamel sauce. Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add butter and melt.
- Whisk in flour (or cornstarch), stirring constantly, then season with salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and nutmeg (to taste).
- Stir in milk of choice and bring sauce to a bubble. Cook 5 minutes to thicken slightly.**
Assemble the Dish:
- Set oven to broil (500℉) to warm up.
- Toss pasta with the homemade tomato sauce, and top casserole with bechamel and three cheeses (Mozzarella, Goat cheddar, and Manchego). Bake 3-5 mins until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Notes
- I added sausages to mine, which is completely optional if you want this to be vegetarian.
- Dip a spoon into the sauce to know when the bechamel sauce is done. When you can run a finger across the back of the spoon and it stays looking like a strong, clean line (a.k.a. no drips through the center of the mark you made), it has thickened properly. If it’s still drippy, cook the sauce for another 2-3 minutes.
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Hi Foodie Friend,
Thanks so much for the comment! So happy my version of Rachel’s recipe helped you 😁
Appreciate you reading and being a fan, keep checking back for more adventures!
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Appreciate you reading and being a fan, keep checking back for more adventures!