Writer: Katie Mancino
EXTRA CHEESY BAKED ZITI
Ingredients:
6 oz dry penne pasta
1 1/4 cup tomato garlic sauce
1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1 cup reduced fat Italian Cheese Blend
1/2 medium eggplant, cubed
1 large zucchini, cubed
Directions:
1. Prepare pasta according to directions on package. You can also use the microwave (cover it with water and cook on high uncovered for 9-10 minutes). Cube vegetables.
2. Combine cooked pasta with tomato sauce, ricotta, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and the vegetables.
3. Load everything into a 9×9 baking pan and pack it down.
4. Cover the top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
5. Bake at 375* for about 30 minutes until cheese begins to brown.
Makes 4 servings
310 calories, 46 carbs, 6g fat, 21g protein
“With 2 cups of cheese in just 4 servings this baked ziti dish comes out creamy and delicious. It’s loaded with chunks of eggplant and zucchini for a truly enormous portion size! Healthy food doesn’t mean sacrificing taste or flavor, it just means getting creative!”
Extra Hearty Minestrone
Ingredients:
1 white onion, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, cubed
1 cup celery, cubed
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 small tomatoes, diced
1 medium potato, cut into small cubes
1 can red kidney beans
1 can white beans
1 small head escarole, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 round slices
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 package baby bella mushrooms
5 oz spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces
4 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp oregano
Directions:
1. Cook onions, carrots, celery and garlic with 1 cup water for 5-8 minutes on medium heat until soft.
2. Add potato, tomato (fresh) and escarole; cook another 3-5 minutes, add another 1 cup water.
3. Add mushrooms, zucchini, beans, canned tomato and vegetable broth; cook 8-10 minutes.
4. Add about 6 cups of water and spices, cook another 10 minutes.
5. Add pasta, cook for 10 minutes then top off with more water.
6. Add parmesan, cook another 3-5 minutes, season to taste and enjoy!
Makes 9 servings (2.25 cups each)
201 calories, 43 carbs, 1g fat, 10g protein
“This is by far the best soup I’ve ever made! You can eat a full serving as part of a meal or have it as a half serving (pictured) as a snack! It takes about 1-1.5 hours but is honestly worth all the work and the recipe makes 9 full sized servings so your hard work WILL be rewarded! It’s super hearty & filling, with chunks of veggies like zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, celery, onion, tomato, there’s even a bit of potato in there!”
