SPONSORED: We get excited about good food and great ingredients, so we’ve teamed up with Divine Flavor to bring you delicious recipes made with their mini Tribelli peppers.
Zoodles swimming in homemade red pepper romesco sauce, cashew cheese, and ground meat all baked in the oven makes for a perfectly nutrient-dense ziti you will love!
This cozy paleo, gluten-free baked ziti made with late summer’s best goodies like zucchini and sweet red peppers is packed with flavor! While I love a good lasagna, I really love baked ziti because layers aren’t really a thing so it’s a little quicker… just mixing all the components together, bake and VOILA! The romesco sauce is a really nice upgrade from your average marinara, you’ll love it on all the things after you try it (super easy to make, too).
And I love using the sweet peppers so it’s not too spicy, you can control the heat with the spices you put in! 
This casserole makes for the best meal prep so you can enjoy it all week long! You could also skip baking it if you’d like to make it more of a zoodle pasta dish and keep it to a 30-minute meal. It’s really a winner any way you slice it.
If you can eat some goat cheese, go nuts by shredding it over top! (omit for strict paleo or whole30)
Zucchini Ziti with Romesco Sauce
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Spiralized zucchini tossed in a vibrant romesco sauce, topped with creamy cashew cheese. A hearty, flavorful vegetarian main course.
Ingredients
- 1 cups (237 ml) cashews
- Boiling hot water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- Pinch sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 4 Tribelli Divine Flavor Sweet Peppers red
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 1/4 cup tomato puree
- 2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lbs (454 g) ground meat
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2-3 large zucchini spiralized
Instructions
- Boil water and add it over cashews to completely cover; let sit for 30 minutes.
- Make the romesco meat sauce.
- Using tongs, carefully and lightly roast each sweet pepper over an open flame on your stove top. Rotate the pepper for a couple of minutes per pepper until lightly blistered.
- Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop the peppers (discarding the insides and seeds).
- Toss the peppers in a food processor with the remaining ingredients and pulse until well blended into a sauce.
- Set aside.
- In a skillet, add olive oil and chopped onions over medium heat and lightly cook until translucent.
- Add in the ground meat, breaking it up with a spoon.
- Cook, mixing well and adding seasonings, until the meat is cooked (no red/raw meat remaining).
- Add romesco sauce to the meat; reduce heat to low until well coated and slightly bubbling.
- Roughly chop spiralized zucchini noodles into bite-sized pieces.
- Add zucchini noodles to the pan and, using tongs, coat them completely in the romesco meat sauce.
- Turn off the heat.
- Drain the cashews and add them to a blender or food processor with lemon, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and egg.
- Mix until well blended; it’s okay if it’s very loose, as it will stiffen in the oven.
- Add a layer of the romesco meat sauce with coated zucchini noodles to the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish.
- Pour in a layer of the cashew cheese.
- Repeat layering, ending with cashew cheese on top.
- Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 20–30 minutes.
- Optionally, add more nutritional yeast midway and broil for 1–2 minutes for more color; watch carefully.
- Serve.
Notes
- For a richer cashew cheese, soak the cashews in warm water for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the roasted peppers and blend the romesco sauce with an immersion blender.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 50
Frequently Asked Questions
What is romesco sauce made of?
Traditional romesco is a Spanish sauce built on roasted red peppers, tomatoes, almonds or hazelnuts, garlic, olive oil, and smoked paprika. This version blends in cashew cream for extra richness.
Why do the cashews need to be soaked before blending?
Soaking cashews in hot water for 30 minutes softens them so they blend into a smooth, creamy texture without graininess.
Can I use store-bought zucchini noodles instead of making my own?
Yes. Pre-spiralized zucchini is available in most grocery stores. Pat it dry before tossing with sauce to prevent the dish from becoming watery.
Is there a way to roast peppers without an open flame?
Place whole peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil on high, turning every few minutes, until the skin is charred all over. Then steam them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes before peeling.
