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Baked Ziti
We couldn't pass up the chance to do a recipe for Baked Ziti. Who doesn't love pasta, meat sauce and cheese? Too bad it is also heavy on fat and calories.
In order to make a healthier version of this favorite dish, not only did we opt for low fat cheese, but we reduced the amount of meat and we added vegetables. In order to reduce the amount of salt, we added extra flavor by incorporating our Sicilian Bread Dipping Seasoning, hand blended with garlic, tomato, smoked sweet paprika, chipotle, basil, brown mustard, oregano, bay leaves, marjoram, thyme and rosemary. Red Pepper Flakes add a bit of bite to the sauce and incorporate nicely with the tomatoes. Our Italian Seasoning adds a note of 'herbiness' to the cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb uncooked ziti or penne pasta
- 8 oz lean ground meat - beef , pork or turkey work well
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Sicilian Bread Dipping Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Roasted Garlic Flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 8 oz frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded - divided
- 8 oz part skim mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a casserole dish or lasagna pan with cooking spray
- In a dutch oven or large pan, heat olive oil to medium hight heat
- Add onions and cook until tender
- Add meat and cook until browned and cooked through - about 5-8 minutes
- Add crushed tomatoes, Sicilian Bread Dipping Seasoning, garlic flakes and vegetables.
- Cook about 10-15 minutes until sauce is heated through and vegetables are tender but still crisp.
- If sauce seems too thick add enough of the reserved pasta water to desired consistency.
- Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta sauce and let cool.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. (Pasta should cook to al dente) Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain and rinse pasta.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, red pepper flakes, 3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, Italian Seasoning and the reserved pasta sauce - mix to combine.
- Spoon 1/2 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish, spread 1/2 of the cooked pasta evenly onto the sauce.
- Spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta and cover with 1/2 of the remiaing sauce.
- Top with the remaining pasta and the remaining sauce.
- Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese cubes. (pusing the cheese cubes down slightly into the sauce helps them not stick to the foil during cooking)
- Cover the dish with foil and bake 25-30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake uncovered 5-10 minutes more until cheese is completely melted and dish is hot and bubbly.
- After removing from oven, allow the dish to site for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 444.10
Total Fat 14.50g
Saturated Fat6.60g
Polyunsaturated Fatg
Monounsaturated Fatg
Cholesterol g
Sodium 534.80mg
Potassium mg
Total Carbohydrate 54.60g
Dietary Fiber0.00g
Total Sugars1.80g
Protein 27.00g
We couldn't pass up the chance to do a recipe for Baked Ziti. Who doesn't love pasta, meat sauce and cheese? Too bad it is also heavy on fat and calories.
In order to make a healthier version of this favorite dish, not only did we opt for low fat cheese, but we reduced the amount of meat and we added vegetables. In order to reduce the amount of salt, we added extra flavor by incorporating our Sicilian Bread Dipping Seasoning, hand blended with garlic, tomato, smoked sweet paprika, chipotle, basil, brown mustard, oregano, bay leaves, marjoram, thyme and rosemary. Red Pepper Flakes add a bit of bite to the sauce and incorporate nicely with the tomatoes. Our Italian Seasoning adds a note of 'herbiness' to the cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb uncooked ziti or penne pasta
- 8 oz lean ground meat - beef , pork or turkey work well
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Sicilian Bread Dipping Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Roasted Garlic Flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 8 oz frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded - divided
- 8 oz part skim mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a casserole dish or lasagna pan with cooking spray
- In a dutch oven or large pan, heat olive oil to medium hight heat
- Add onions and cook until tender
- Add meat and cook until browned and cooked through - about 5-8 minutes
- Add crushed tomatoes, Sicilian Bread Dipping Seasoning, garlic flakes and vegetables.
- Cook about 10-15 minutes until sauce is heated through and vegetables are tender but still crisp.
- If sauce seems too thick add enough of the reserved pasta water to desired consistency.
- Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta sauce and let cool.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. (Pasta should cook to al dente) Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain and rinse pasta.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, red pepper flakes, 3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, Italian Seasoning and the reserved pasta sauce - mix to combine.
- Spoon 1/2 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish, spread 1/2 of the cooked pasta evenly onto the sauce.
- Spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta and cover with 1/2 of the remiaing sauce.
- Top with the remaining pasta and the remaining sauce.
- Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese cubes. (pusing the cheese cubes down slightly into the sauce helps them not stick to the foil during cooking)
- Cover the dish with foil and bake 25-30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake uncovered 5-10 minutes more until cheese is completely melted and dish is hot and bubbly.
- After removing from oven, allow the dish to site for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 444.10
Total Fat 14.50g
Saturated Fat6.60g
Polyunsaturated Fatg
Monounsaturated Fatg
Cholesterol g
Sodium 534.80mg
Potassium mg
Total Carbohydrate 54.60g
Dietary Fiber0.00g
Total Sugars1.80g
Protein 27.00g