Eating a balanced diet has some negative connotations… you can’t eat what you want, you likely won’t enjoy the food you are eating, and it’s hard to stick with the diet you chose. Skinny Pasta Casserole is here to change the name of the healthy game! This lighter dish brings you heart-healthy whole-wheat penne pasta noodles baked in a creamy, reduced-fat version of yumminess that will taste so good, you’ll forget for a second that it’s also providing you with some nourishment. There’s juicy ground chicken to make sure you get your protein and tangy tomatoes to add even more flavor. See? Taking care of yourself isn’t so bad when you have dishes like Skinny Pasta Casserole in your queue!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole-wheat penne pasta, uncooked
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- fresh parsley, optional, to taste, minced, for garnish
- crushed red pepper flakes, optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Step 3 –In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
Step 4 –Reserve 1/3 of the pasta water and drain the rest.
Step 5 –Return the pasta to the pot.
Step 6 –While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the chicken, the onion, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder, the Italian seasoning, the salt, and the pepper and cook, while crumbling the meat, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 7 –Stir the tomatoes into the chicken mixture and bring it to a boil.
Step 8 –Add the cooked pasta to the chicken mixture and toss to combine.
Step 9 –Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Step 10 –In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, the sour cream, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and the remaining garlic powder together.
Step 11 –Drop the cream cheese mixture by the tablespoonfuls over the pasta.
Step 12 –Sprinkle the pasta mixture with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Step 13 –Bake the pasta mixture, uncovered, until the cheese has melted, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 14 –Sprinkle the pasta mixture with the parsley and the red pepper flakes.
Step 15 –Serve.
