Healthy Baked Ziti

Looking for a comfort food classic that's both satisfying and nourishing?

This Healthy Baked Ziti delivers all the cheesy, saucy goodness you love with a few simple ingredient swaps that make it a lighter option for everyday meals.

It's perfect for family dinners, meal prep, potlucks, or anytime you're craving a cozy pasta dish.

Bonus: this baked ziti dish is the perfect make-ahead meal that will likely leave you with leftovers good for a few days too!

Ingredients

• 6 oz. penne pasta (I prefer gluten free)

• 1 jar tomato basil sauce, low sodium

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey

• 1/4 C sweet yellow onion, diced

• 1 C low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (or non-dairy sub)

• 1 tsp. oregano

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place large pot of water on stove with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Set burner on high and once water is at a rolling boil add penne pasta and reduce heat to medium high. Boil noodles for approximately 10 minutes (or until tender and easily pierced with a fork), drain water and set aside.

3. While noodles are boiling, sauté the ground turkey with diced sweet yellow onion in a large pan on stove at medium heat. Once turkey is nearly cooked (2-3 minutes remaining), add oregano and stir well to coat, then cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to low for the last few minutes (be sure not to over cook the meat, watch for browning edges and stir as/if needed!)

4. Place cooked ground turkey in a medium size mixing bowl and add 1/2 the jar of tomato basil sauce, stir to combine well.

5. Using a 9x13 baking dish, add a layer of penne noodles, then top with meat and tomato sauce mixture, sprinkle cheese along the top, then add another layer of noodles followed by another layer of meat and sauce and sprinkling of cheese, then a final layer of noodles, meat and sauce and top with remaining cheese.

6. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes (until cheese on top begins to lightly brown).

7. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

Eat and Enjoy!

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