I haven’t posted any recipes in awhile, so I decided today to create some posts sharing some of our favorites. I won’t post them all at once – gotta save “blog fodder” for other days, of course. Today, I’m sharing a recipe that is a definite hit in our house. Macey LOVES this baked pasta. And, guess what? It’s from The Biggest Loser cookbook (listed there as Baked Ziti), so it’s a healthy way to eat pasta. That’s a plus in my book. I serve this with a salad and it’s just perfect for lunch or dinner. YUM!
Baked Penne
Makes 8 servings
Olive oil spray
1 (14 1/2 oz) box fiber-enriched ziti or penne rigate (such as Ronzoni Smart Taste)
1 (15-oz) container fat-free ricotta
2 large egg whites
8-oz (2 cups) finely shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Main Event Marinara or 3 1/2 cups other low-fat, low-sodium marinara
2T grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven 425. Lightly mist a 13x9x2″ ceramic or glass baking dish with the olive oil spray.
Cook the pasta according to package until al dente. Drain.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, egg whites and all but one cup of the mozzarella until well combined. Add the garlic powder and season with the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined.
Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. Add half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce. Top the dish evenly with another 1 cup sauce. Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 cups sauce over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle the top with remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes or longer, or until the mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces or spoon among 8 bowls and serve.
350 calories, 22g protein, 57g carb, 6g fat (3g sat), 20mg chol, 8g fiber, 429mg sodium
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Main Event Marinara
Makes 7 (1/2 cup) servings
Olive oil spray
1 cup minced yellow or white onion
2T freshly minced garlic
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
2T no-salt-added tomato paste
2 teaspoons honey
1T dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt, to taste (optional)
Spray a medium nonstick saucepan with the olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just becoming tender, but not brown, about 4-6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and with a wooden spoon stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, honey, oregano, basil and pepper flakes until well combined. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour. Season with salt, if needed.
Serving size: 1/2 cup
63 calories, 3g protein, 15g carb, less than 1g fat (trace saturated), 0mg chol, 3g fiber, 156mg sodium