Best Low Fat Pesto Baked Ziti Recipes

HEALTHY BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Bring a 5-6 quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. The pasta should still have a bite to it after it cooks. This helps keep the pasta from getting mushy.
• Drain the pasta and rinse. Place the pasta into a 9 x13 baking dish.
• Mix ricotta cheese, egg, romano or parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the crushed red pepper if you're using it.
• Mix the ricotta cheese mixture and spaghetti sauce in with the pasta. Start with 3-cups of sauce and add more if you need to. The pasta should be covered with sauce and cheese mixture.
• Sprinkle mozzarella over the top of the pasta mixture.
• Cover with foil and bake for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and the baked ziti is bubbling on the sides.

SURPRISING BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• preheat oven to 350.
• oil an 8x8 baking dish.
• cook pasta in salted water for 7 min, drain, and tinse.
• heat 1 1/2 tbsp of the oil in a pan over med- low heat.
• cook onion until it becomes translucent.
• add garlic and cook it for 30 sec.
• add tomato, salt, and bay leaf.
• raise heat to medium.
• simmer mixture for 10 min or until it gets very thick.
• remove the bay leaf and stir in 1/4 tsp pepper.
• in a bowl, combine the pesto, half the parmesan, the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and the remaining black pepper.
• put 1/2 of the pasta in the baking dish.
• top with 1/3 of the sauce.
• spread entire cheese mixture evenly over the sauce.
• cover with the remaining pasta, sauce, and cheese.
• drizzle 1/2 tbsp olive oil over the top layer of cheese.
• bake until bubbling (about 30 min).
• let stand at least 10 minutes before cutting.

LOW FAT BAKED ZITI WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375. Cook the pasta according to package, to al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot.
• 2. Heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté garlic. Add the spinach and cook until wilted (if using fresh). Add the crushed tomatoes, Salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Heat through.
• 3. Add the sauce to the pot with the pasta. Stir in the ricotta, half of the mozzarella, and the Parmesan cheese. Place the pasta into a greased with cooking spray 13 x 9 pan. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes or until mozzarella is melted and edges are just beginning to brown.