We all love a good ziti at Sunday dinner, but we don’t always love what it does to our waistlines. Thankfully, Lite Baked Ziti is here to keep the flavors exciting without asking us to loosen our belts. The ziti itself is tender, perfect for scooping up the rich, vibrant tomato sauce and the melty, bright, and tangy ricotta and spinach. And it can’t be a great ziti without plenty more cheese in the form of mozzarella and parmesan. By keeping things vegetarian, Lite Baked Ziti reduces the fat content which keeps things light so you can enjoy plate after plate guilt-free! Eating healthy can be delicious! Who knew?
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried or fresh
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons basil, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, drained and chopped
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti pasta until very al dente according to package directions.
Step 3 –Drain the pasta.
Step 4 –In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil.
Step 5 –Add the onion to the oil and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Step 6 –Stir the garlic, the tomato paste, and the oregano into the onion and cook until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.
Step 7 –Add the crushed tomatoes and season the tomato mixture with the salt and the pepper.
Step 8 –Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat to low.
Step 9 –Cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and the flavors have melded together, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 10 –Transfer the saucepan from the heat and stir in the basil.
Step 11 –Combine the ricotta, the spinach, the lemon zest, and the crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl.
Step 12 –In a large bowl, combine the sauce and the pasta.
Step 13 –Fold the ricotta mixture into the pasta mixture, leaving large clumps.
Step 14 –Spread 1/2 of the pasta mixture into the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Step 15 –Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the parmesan over the pasta layer.
Step 16 –Repeat the layers.
Step 17 –Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the cheese is bubbling, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 18 –Garnish with the extra basil.
Step 19 –Serve.
