Dinner
Baked Ziti with Spinach
Baked ziti delivers tender pasta in a savory tomato sauce laced with garlic and spinach, its creamy ricotta pockets melting into gooey mozzarella that forms a golden, bubbling crust.
- Total
- 50 min
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Serves
- 8
Nutrition per Serving
- Calories
- 296
- Protein
- 16g
- Carbs
- 44g
- Fat
- 7g
- Fiber
- 6g
- Sugar
- 5g
- Sodium
- 524mg
Ingredients
- 12 oz uncooked ziti (wheat or gluten-free)
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes (I recommend: Tuttorosso)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 3 clove garlic (minced)
- 10 oz package frozen spinach (thawed)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- kosher salt and fresh pepper, to taste
- 8 oz fat-free ricotta
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella ((8 oz total) (I recommend: Polly-O))
- olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil spray.
- In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente (I like to under-cook it 3 or 4 minutes as it will cook more in the oven). Drain and return to pot.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté garlic. Add chopped spinach, salt, pepper and crushed tomatoes. Season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes.
- Add sauce to the pasta and combine. Add half of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and ricotta. Mix well then transfer to the baking pan.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mozzarella and cover with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned. Let it cool 5 minutes before serving.