Skip to main content
ZitiRecipe
Menu

Indian-Inspired Masala Tomato Baked Pasta

A spiced tomato-onion masala with paneer and peas

Editorial demo · awaiting kitchen verification

A meatless baked ziti inspired by North Indian masala flavors — a spiced tomato-onion base with ginger, garam masala, paneer, and peas under melted cheese.

Editorial demo. This recipe documents a standard method but has not yet been cooked and tasted by our kitchen. It is not presented as tested, carries no ratings, and is excluded from search indexing until a real test round is logged. See our testing policy.
Indian-inspired baked pasta in a spiced masala tomato-cream sauce with paneer cubes, peas and cilantro
Illustrative photography of baked pasta — original photography pending

How it layers, top to bottom

Photography to come

  1. Browned mozzarellaUncovered, until it blisters
  2. Ziti + sauceUndercooked by two minutes
  3. Ricotta, egg, ParmigianoSet, so it slices clean
  4. Ziti + sauceGenerous — it drinks liquid
  5. Sauce, on the baseSo nothing catches

Bake at 375°F (190°C) until the centre reaches 165°F (74°C).

Prep
25 min
Cook
40 min
Total
75 min
Yield
One 9×13-inch pan
Jump to recipe

This is an inspired adaptation, not a traditional Indian dish. It draws on a North Indian tomato-onion masala — onions, ginger, garlic, tomato, and warm spices like garam masala, cumin, and turmeric — plus paneer and peas, and reworks them into an Italian-American-style baked pasta. How this differs: an Indian masala would be served with rice or flatbread and would not be layered with mozzarella; we adapt the spiced tomato base into a ziti bake rather than reproduce a specific dish such as paneer makhani.

Ingredients

Ingredients now scaled for 10 servings.

Masala base
Paneer, peas & pasta
Cheese

Equipment

  • 9×13-inch baking dish
  • Large skillet
  • Large pot

Directions

  1. 1

    Heat oven to 375°F (190°C) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

  2. 2

    Soften the onion in oil or ghee, then add ginger and garlic. Add garam masala, cumin, and turmeric and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

    ⏲ Bloom spices: ~8 min

    Look for: Spices smell toasty and the onion is soft and golden.

  3. 3

    Add crushed tomatoes and simmer, then stir in the cream, paneer, and peas. Season with salt.

    ⏲ Simmer masala: ~12 min

    Look for: Sauce is rich and no longer tastes of raw tomato.

  4. 4

    Boil the ziti 2 minutes short of al dente; drain.

    ⏲ Undercook pasta: ~8 min

    Look for: Firm with a chalky center.

  5. 5

    Fold pasta into the masala with half the mozzarella.

  6. 6

    Spread in a greased dish and top with the remaining mozzarella.

  7. 7

    Bake covered 20 minutes, then uncovered 15–20 minutes until bubbling and browned.

    ⏲ Bake: ~40 min

    Look for: Center is steaming hot and the cheese is browned in spots.

    Food safety: Bake and reheat until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).

  8. 8

    Rest 10 minutes and finish with cilantro.

    ⏲ Rest: ~10 min

Troubleshooting & common mistakes

  • Not blooming the spices in fat, which leaves them dusty and flat.
  • Boiling the cream hard after adding it — keep the simmer gentle.

Make-ahead, storage & reheating

Make ahead
Make the masala a day ahead; assemble and refrigerate up to 24 hours, adding time to the covered bake from cold.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days.
Freezer
Freeze baked or unbaked up to 2 months; thaw overnight before reheating to 165°F (74°C).
Reheating
Reheat portions covered at 350°F (175°C) with a splash of water or cream.

Recipe notes

  • Swap coconut milk for cream to keep it dairy-lighter (still uses paneer and cheese).
  • This is an inspired adaptation of North Indian masala flavors — it is not a traditional Indian dish such as paneer makhani.

FAQ

What is paneer?
A firm, mild Indian fresh cheese that holds its shape when cooked. Firm tofu is a reasonable swap if you can't find it.
How spicy is this?
As written it's mild-to-medium. Add a minced green chile or a pinch of cayenne to bring more heat.

Nutrition (estimate)

Per 1 of 10 servings: ~480 kcal, 20 g protein, 52 g carbs, 22 g fat.

Estimated from listed quantities via a standard USDA-based database; approximate, not lab-verified.

Pantry · shelf-stable

Stock the pantry

Shelf-stable staples for this recipe. Fresh cheese, produce, and meat are best bought locally. As an Amazon Associate, ZitiRecipe earns from qualifying purchases.

Keep reading

Related recipes