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Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables

Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables reads umami 6.7, richness 5.3 and salinity 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 1 hr 12 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.8 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.7 · Richness 5.3 · Salinity 4.5 · Sweetness 3.8 · Earthy 3.6 · Allium 3.4 · Fruity 2.2 · Nutty 2.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.1 · Sourness 1.8 · Bitterness 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.6 · Heat 1.5 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Citrus 0.9 · Floral 0.6

What's in it (16)

• rigatoni pasta — 454 g
• zucchini — 100 g
• red bell pepper — 100 g
• cremini mushrooms — 227 g
• red onion — 110 g
• olive oil — 54 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• garlic — 9 g
• tomatoes — 794 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• red chili flakes — 1 g
• fresh ricotta — 425 g
• egg — 100 g
• low-fat mozzarella cheese — 227 g
• parmesan cheese — 57 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 12 min (1 hr 7 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 140.4 kcal, 7.2 g protein, 4.7 g fat, 17.1 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Heat the oven to 425F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, and red onion with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Roast, stirring once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and browned at the edges, 22-25 minutes.
2. While the vegetables roast, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti until just shy of al dente (it will finish cooking in the oven), about 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
3. While the pasta cooks, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, 30-45 seconds.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, and half the Parmesan until smooth.
6. Add the drained ziti, roasted vegetables, and a splash of the reserved pasta water to the tomato sauce; toss until evenly coated.
7. Fold the ricotta mixture into the pasta just until streaky, not fully blended. Spread half the pasta in a 9x13-inch baking dish, scatter with half the mozzarella, then top with the remaining pasta, the remaining mozzarella, and the remaining Parmesan.
8. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden in spots and the sauce is bubbling at the edges, 20-25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Three-Cheese Vegetable Lasagna — Italian-American
• Beef Moussaka with Eggplant — Greek
• Vegetarian Moussaka with Lentils — Greek
• Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew — Italian-American
• Pasta Fagioli with Italian Sausage — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.