Well, it's been a long time since I've posted. With my new career change I've decided to use this blog to document my favorite recipes with a healthy twist. Up first... Baked Ziti. I found this little recipe over at Skinny Taste, one of my favorite new blogs. Here's the basic recipe:
Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach (Grade: A)
1 lb ziti (I used whole wheat)
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic,minced
1 package of fresh spinach
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and fresh pepper to taste
8 oz skim ricotta
1/4 cup Parmesan
2 cups (8 oz) part skim mozzarella
Spray olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 slices of pancetta
Preheat oven to 375°.Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil spray.
In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente. Drain and return to pot.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté garlic. The original recipe calls for frozen spinach but I'm not a fan; I prefer to use fresh ingredients whenever I can. Either way, add the spinach to the saucepan and cook until wilted. Next, add the crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat; simmer for 5-10 minutes.
In a separate pan, lightly brown the pancetta. Pour the pancetta into the simmering sauce. Continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
Add sauce to the pasta and combine the ziti. 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.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.
My take: This recipe turned out fantastic--especially in light of the disastrous brown rice risotto attempt that wasted 2 hours of my life last night. As stated previously, I like to use fresh veggies as opposed to frozen just because I prefer the taste. This recipe is easy peasy and the taste was fantastic-- good thing, too, because it makes enough for an army!
