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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.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 5 Servings
Calories: 593 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prepare the Cauliflower Cream Sauce: 
  2. 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. 
  3. 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. 
  4. 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:
    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Cook the Noodles: 
  4. 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:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. 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.
  3. Pour the creamy cauliflower sauce over the casserole and smooth into an even layer.
  4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cauliflower sauce has a golden-brown hue to it.
  5. 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 Information

Serving 1of 5 Calories 593kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 69g (23%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 23g (35%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 9g (18%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 593

% Daily Value*

Serving 1of 5
Calories 593kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 69g 23%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 23g 35%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 9g 18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.