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Craving comfort food that won’t leave you feeling ready for a nap? This cauliflower baked ziti is it! I’ve taken a classic Italian dish with a low carb spin, but all the same flavors. Everyone can enjoy keto baked ziti, whether they are following a keto diet or not! Even my kids loved it.
Wondering how cauliflower ziti can be just as satisfying? Let me explain. We’ve got layers of roasted cauliflower, a sausage marinara with Italian seasoning, and of course, plenty of cheese (three different types!). It’s the kind of meal everyone can get behind.
If Italian meals are your jam, but you aren’t interested in the pasta, give my Italian sausage kale soup, Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms, or Italian antipasto salad a try.
How To Make Cauliflower Baked Ziti
This keto baked ziti recipe comes together with just 10 minutes prep! Here’s how we make it:
Roast cauliflower
- Roast. Arrange cauliflower in a single layer on 2 baking sheets and roast until browned.
TIP: Rotate while roasting. Ideally, the pans would fit side by side, but if they don’t, rotate them half way through.
Make sausage marinara
- Brown sausage. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage until browned.
- Saute garlic. Make a well in the center of the skillet and saute garlic until fragrant, then stir into the sausage.
- Make sausage marinara. Add marinara and Italian seasoning and simmer until sauce is thick and bubbly.
Assemble cauliflower baked ziti
- Layer. Arrange half of the roasted cauliflower in a single layer in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Dollop ricotta over cauliflower and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese. Top with sausage marinara and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with more cauliflower, ricotta, parmesan, sausage marinara, and mozzarella.
- Bake. Bake in the oven until cheese is melted and golden.
Cauliflower Ziti FAQs
How many carbs in baked ziti?
The carbs in baked ziti will vary recipe to recipe, but a good average is 37 grams total carbohydrates per 1 cup of baked ziti.
It’s exactly why I thought we needed a keto option… 😉
How many carbs in cauliflower baked ziti?
Each serving of this cauliflower ziti has 7.5 grams net carbs.
The full cauliflower baked ziti nutrition can be found below the recipe card.
Is cauliflower baked ziti keto?
Yes, with just 7.5 grams net carbs per serving, cauliflower baked ziti is keto-friendly.
Can you make cauliflower ziti with turkey?
Yes, you could swap out the Italian sausage for ground turkey in this recipe. You may need to adjust seasonings, so sample after adding marinara and Italian seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Keto Baked Ziti Storage Instructions
Can you make it ahead?
Yes, this meal is great leftover. Or, if you’d like, you can assemble the entire meal and bake right before serving.
You could also prep a few components ahead and bake right before serving:
- Roast cauliflower
- Make sausage marinara
How to store cauliflower ziti:
Store any leftover cauliflower ziti in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Can you freeze keto cauliflower baked ziti?
Yes, you can also freeze the baked ziti for 2-3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating instructions:
Reheat the ziti in a 350 degree F oven or in the microwave.
What To Serve With Keto Baked Ziti
All this healthy ziti substitute needs is an app, salad, or dessert:
- Appetizers – Appetizer recipes such as stuffed baby artichokes, garlic cheese bread, or cauliflower breadsticks are all great options.
- Salads – Salad recipes such as chopped Italian salad, chopped Mediterranean salad, or avocado caprese salad pair well with cauliflower ziti.
- Desserts – Dessert recipes such as keto truffles, peanut butter fat bombs, or keto coconut cream pie will end your meal on a sweet and delicious note.
More Keto “Pasta” Recipes
If you like this baked cauliflower ziti recipe, you might also like some of these other Italian keto recipes for pasta:
- Keto Ravioli – The ultimate ravioli for carb lovers. Fathead ravioli features a butternut squash filling and browned butter sauce.
- Healthy Chicken Alfredo – Don’t let alfredo weigh you down, this one is lightened up with spaghetti squash and the sauce is just as creamy.
- Eggplant Lasagna – Easy comfort food, with just 20 minutes prep. You won’t miss the noodles!
- Keto Shrimp Scampi – This twist on a classic is made with healthy zucchini noodles instead of pasta. Ready in less than 30 minutes.
Tools To Make Cauliflower Ziti:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Enameled Cast Iron Skillet – This skillet heats up evenly and cooks your food quickly, plus the enameled coating is less fuss than traditional cast iron.
- Ceramic Baking Dish – Take your keto baked ziti right from the oven to table in this ceramic dish that’s as functional as it is beautiful. This one is the perfect size for this recipe.
Reader Favorite Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers also made these similar recipes after making this one.
RECIPE CARD
Keto Cauliflower Baked Ziti Recipe
Italian cauliflower baked ziti is cheesy comfort food without the carbs! This keto baked ziti recipe is loaded with Italian sausage, marinara, and 3 cheeses.
Recipe Video
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!Ingredients
Click underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
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Get RECIPE TIPS in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Roasted cauliflower:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss together the cauliflower, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper.
Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on the baking sheets. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes, until browned.
Ideally the baking sheets would fit side by side, but if not, rotate them halfway through.
Sausage marinara:
Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage.
Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for 8-10 minutes, until cooked and browned.
Make a well in the center and add the minced garlic. Saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant, then stir into the sausage.
Add the marinara and Italian seasoning. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce is thick and bubbly. If needed, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Assembly:
When the cauliflower is done, reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees (204 degrees C).
Arrange half of it in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Dollop half of the ricotta over the cauliflower, then sprinkle with half of the shredded parmesan. Top with half of the sausage marinara (dollop it on, then spread), and finally sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat the layers with the remaining cauliflower, ricotta, parmesan, sausage marinara, and mozzarella.
Bake cauliflower ziti in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup, or 1/12 entire casserole
Video Showing How To Make Keto Baked Ziti:
Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Keto Baked Ziti!
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Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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7 Comments
Nicole
This was absolutely divine! I am a vegetarian so I did not add sausage and I made my own sauce from scratch. Everything else I followed to a T and it was easy & very delicious. Will definitely make again. Thank you ❤️
Susasn Keown
I would like to try this recipe but I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Can I use any frying pan?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Susasn, Yes, a frying pan will work fine.
Stacey Coville
Can you use frozen cauliflower?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Stacey, I haven’t tried this recipe with frozen cauliflower, but the recipe should still work well!
Nellie Tracy
This is a great baked ziti recipe. Love it for weeknight dinners!
Wilhelmina
This is the kind of recipe that makes sticking to a keto diet easier for me! It is so cheesy and delicious, I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything. It makes cauliflower a comfort food!