Oh, how I love pasta. . . Oh, how I love baked pasta even more. Such a simple recipe, but it’s sooooo good. It’s even Vegetarian since I didn’t put any Italian Sausage or ground beef in it. Sometimes I think that simple is better. I halved this recipe and made dinner and lunch for both Josh and I. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
Baked Ziti Makes 8 servings – 350 calories each
Ingredients
14 1/2 ounce box fiber-enriched ziti or penne 15-ounce container fat-free ricotta cheese 2 large egg whites 2 cups finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (divided use) 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Salt, to taste Ground black pepper, to taste Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 3 1/2 cups low-fat, low-sodium marinara sauce (divided use) 2 tablespoons grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly mist a 13-by-9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish with olive oil spray. Cook the ziti according to package directions until al dente. Drain. In a large mixing bowl, mix ricotta, egg whites, and 1 cup of the mozzarella until well combined. Add the garlic powder and season with 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 the pasta in an even layer over the sauce. Top the pasta evenly with another 1 cup sauce. Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce. Spoon remaining sauce evenly over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan over the top.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces or spoon among 8 bowls and serve.