Servings: 5 Servings
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Baked Ziti
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Baked Ziti is a magnificently comforting dinner casserole with a meat sauce and a creamy dairy-free cauliflower sauce for the topping.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces gluten-free ziti or penne noodles
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 pound ground beef or ground Italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 24-oz. jar marinara sauce (https://amzn.to/3m4RRdI) (store-bought or homemade)*
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
- 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional
For the Dairy-Free Creamy Sauce:
- 1 large head cauliflower chopped
- 1/2 medium-sized yellow onion
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil**
- 2 tsp stone ground mustard
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅔ cup chicken broth or beef broth
Instructions
- Prepare the Cauliflower Cream Sauce:
- Heat a large pot of water on the stove top and bring it to a full boil. Add the chopped cauliflower and onion and cook until the cauliflower is very tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Strain the cauliflower and onion into a colander, then transfer to a high powered blender. Add the remaining ingredients for the cauliflower sauce to the blender and blend until completely smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
- Note: This portion of the recipe can easily be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Simply store the sauce in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
Prepare the Meat Sauce:
- Heat the avocado oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn golden-brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Scoot the onion off to one side of the skillet and add the ground beef. Allow the beef to brown for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip to the other side and allow it to brown another 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to chop up the meat into smaller chunks, then add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a full boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes (or up to 50 minutes at very low heat if you have the time), stirring occasionally.
- Cook the Noodles:
- While the sauce is cooking, cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Strain into a colander then immediately run cold water over the noodles. This removed excess starch and also stops the cooking process.
Make the Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Transfer the cooked noodles to a large (13” x 9”) casserole dish, followed by the meat sauce. Gently stir until the noodles are well-coated in sauce.
- Pour the creamy cauliflower sauce over the casserole and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cauliflower sauce has a golden-brown hue to it.
- Allow the baked ziti to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Or use your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce. You’ll need 3 cups, or 24 ounces.
**If you aren’t dairy-free, use ghee or butter instead of avocado oil for the best flavor.
**If you don’t have mustard on hand, you can use cider vinegar or rice vinegar
If you aren’t dairy-free, replace the cauliflower sauce with 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, and 1 cup ricotta cheese. Simply layer these cheeses over the pasta just as you would a regular casserole
Nutrition
Serving: 1of 5, Calories: 593kcal, Carbohydrates: 69g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 23g, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 9g