Pumpkin Baked Ziti is a fun twist on traditional tomato-based baked ziti, and it's the perfect comfort food meal for dinner on chilly autumn evenings. This easy to make meatless recipe is vegan with a gluten-free option.
Pumpkin Baked Ziti
Ah, November. It's the month when we need to pull our heavy coats out of storage, the time of year we when turn to warming comfort food to get us through dark and chilly evenings, and it's the month we here in the U.S. celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving can be a tough holiday for those who don't partake in meat, but with some careful planning, it is possible to get through the day relatively unscathed.
Even though pasta isn't traditionally thought of as a Thanksgiving dish, it's been showing up on the table more and more throughout recent years. I have friends who always include mac and cheese in their feasts, and sometimes lasagna makes an appearance at my annual holiday potlucks.
The pumpkin and pecans in this pumpkin baked ziti recipe give it a fall feel, which is perfect for Thanksgiving, and the tofu ricotta tastes close enough to the "real" thing that even omnivores will enjoy it. It's also great for Christmas dinner, but you don't have to wait until the holidays to enjoy it.
How to Make Pumpkin Baked Ziti
This recipe is super easy to make!
- First you cook the pasta until it's al dente, or almost done.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the ricotta by pulsing all of the ingredients together in a food processor.
- When they're done, you mix together the cooked pasta, pumpkin and ricotta in a large bowl.
- Next, you transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Top the mixture with the breadcrumbs and pecans.
- You cover the dish with foil and bake it for half an hour. Then remove the foil and bake it for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Al dente means "to the tooth" so you want your pasta to still have a little bite to it. If it's overcooked, it will get mushy in the oven.
- When buying pumpkin puree, make sure don't purchase pumpkin pie filling, which has sweet spices in the mix.
How to Customize your Pumpkin Baked Ziti
- If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your pasta is gluten-free.
- You can use any type of bite-sized pasta. I actually like to make it with penne, not ziti, but you can also use shells, elbow macaroni, or fusilli.
- If pumpkin puree is available, you can use butternut squash puree instead.
- You can add some greens, such as kale or broccoli, to the pasta water just before it's done cooking to give your dish a little nutritional boost.
- If you don't feel like making tofu ricotta, you can use store-bought ricotta. I like Kite Hill's, which is almond based.
A big bowl full of this Pumpkin Baked Ziti will keep you warm and cozy on chilly fall evenings. Pair with Pan Seared Brussels Sprouts for the ultimate autumn meal. This recipe is adapted from a cheese-filled dish I found on TheKitchn.com many years ago.
Pumpkin Baked Ziti
Ingredients
Tofu Ricotta
- 14-ounce container firm tofu drained and pressed
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh sage
Casserole
- 12 ounces whole grain ziti or penne pasta
- 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until it's al dente, or has a firm bite, about 3 minutes less than the package calls for.
- To make the ricotta, crumble the tofu into a food processer fitted with an s-blade. Add the lemon juice, garlic, and nutritional yeast and blend until the mixture is thick and looks like ricotta cheese. Add a little water if the mixture is too thick. Add the sage and pulse until it’s mixed in. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, gently mix together the cooked pasta, tofu ricotta, pumpkin, garlic, sea salt and black pepper.
- Spread the mixture evenly in a 9×12” casserole dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and pecans.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
More pumpkin recipes you might enjoy include:
More pasta recipes you might enjoy include:
- Pumpkin Pasta Carbonara
- Pasta Primavera
- Mac and Peas with Butternut Squash Sauce
- Butternut Squash Casserole
Deborah Davis
Hi,
I just hopped by from Virtual Vegan Linky to see your Pumpkin Baked Ziti recipe.
This lovely blend of ingredients will definitely tantalize my tastebuds. I’m pinning and sharing this! All the best, Deborah
Dianne
Thank you, Deborah!