Zucchini Pomodoro Penne Bake
with Mozzarella & Herbed Ricotta
- Wheat
- Milk
No matter the weather, it’s pretty much impossible not to daydream about cheesy baked carbs. Luckily, this dish is guaranteed to make those dreams come true. In it, you’ll find penne and zucchini layered with herby, creamy ricotta and a rich marinara sauce. To top things off, there’s a melty blanket of mozzarella. Serve it right from the dish for maximum cheese pull potential and wait for the oohs and aahs from your lucky fellow diners.
Ingredients
1 unit
Zucchini
1 unit
Yellow Onion
1 unit
Roma Tomato
6 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
14 ounce
Marinara Cup
1 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
1 ounce
Ricotta Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
½ cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
Not included in your delivery
2 teaspoon
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon
Sugar
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and dice half the onion (whole onion for 4 servings). Finely dice tomato. Trim zucchini, then grate on the largest holes of a box grater.
• Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente, 8 minutes (it’ll finish cooking in step 6). • Drain penne. (Keep empty pot handy for step 5.)
• Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, tomato, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 4-6 minutes. • Stir in marinara, zucchini, ½ tsp Italian Seasoning (1 tsp for 4 servings), ¼ cup water (½ cup for 4), 1 tsp sugar (2 tsp for 4), and a big pinch of salt. (You’ll use more Italian Seasoning in the next step.) Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring, 3 minutes more. Turn off heat.
• While sauce simmers, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, ½ tsp Italian Seasoning (1 tsp for 4 servings), and a drizzle of olive oil. (Use the rest of the Italian Seasoning as you like.) Season with salt and pepper.
• Add drained penne, sauce, and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) to pot used for pasta. Season with salt and pepper; stir to thoroughly combine. • Spread out half the pasta mixture in an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. (For 4, use a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.) Using a tablespoon, dollop pasta mixture with herbed ricotta. Top with remaining pasta mixture, then sprinkle with mozzarella.
• Cover baking dish with foil. (TIP: Coat inside of foil with nonstick spray first to prevent sticking.) Bake pasta on top rack for 10 minutes, then remove from oven; discard foil. • Heat broiler to high. Broil until cheese is lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning. • Let cool slightly; top with chili flakes if desired. Divide between plates and serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Apr 2026- Flavor: Many loved the rich, fresh tomato sauce and herbed ricotta, though some found it bland and suggested adding garlic or extra seasoning.
- Ease of prep: Most found it straightforward despite multiple steps, though grating zucchini by hand was tedious for some home cooks.
- Suggestions: Add garlic and extra Italian seasoning for deeper flavor; some preferred dicing zucchini instead of grating for better texture.
- Leftovers: Generous portions provided multiple meals and reheated well, making it excellent value for families.
- Cheese: Nearly everyone wanted more ricotta and mozzarella; adding extra cheese on top made it even better 🧀.
Reviews from our home cooks
The penne bake was delicious & flavorful. It was one of the easier dinners I have made (over the past 2 years). Wish there was a side salad included with the meals especially when it is a pasta meal. The veggie added to the main dish is nice but more veggies could enhance the meal(s) both nutritionally and color wise.
This was one of the best penne bake recipes I have ever had! The herbed ricotta middle layer and the sauce with all of the veggies was SO delicious!!
Was easy, left out the zucchini to make zucchini bread later. Loved the pasta & ricotta cheese melted with the mozzarella of over the top, there was also a great blend of spices & sweetness in the marinara sauce mixed with the sautéed onions & tomatoes!
Delicious! If you have a friend or family member who doesn't like vegetables, this recipe is great. My granddaughter didn't even notice that zucchini was in the Penne Bake!
Yummy!! I tweaked this a little. I added the ricotta mixture in with the tomato sauce. Moon sliced the zucchini and cooked with the onion and didn't bake it. sprinkled a little mozzarella on top of each serving.
Pasta bakes are amazing but I was surprised how much zucchini fit into it without making it feel like a veggie pasta bake. Great recipe to add in some veggies!
Love that this recipe incorporates some veggies with the zucchini. The portions were very generous. We definitely didn't finish it all!
The dish was tasty, but a little on the bland side. We used the entire ricotta even though the meal was for 2, and probably could have used more. The size of the penne is too big, and this is not the first time we have felt this way. Next time, if I make it again I would put garlic in the sauce. Add more flavor, so it won't be so bland.
My husband liked this a lot, even though he's usually not a fan of penne. And it's fairly easy to make. I don't have a baking dish that I would trust in the broiler, so I used the cast iron frying pan that I made the sauce in for the bake/broil event.
I described this to my husband as a penne pizza bake because of all the cheesy goodness. Definitely a favorite of ours!
