This delightful and nourishing Healthy Baked Ziti recipe is loaded with fresh vegetables, flavorful turkey sausage, and serves as an ideal weeknight dinner that the entire family will adore! Leftovers are a certainty!
Table of Contents
If you enjoy warm comfort food but are looking for something a bit lighter and more wholesome, you’re going to ADORE this Healthy Baked Ziti recipe! It captures all the deliciousness and heartiness you love in a traditional ziti dish, yet it’s healthier with lean turkey sausage, high-protein cottage cheese, whole grain pasta, and a variety of fresh vegetables. While conventional baked ziti typically uses a ricotta cheese blend, you’ll appreciate the creamy richness of cottage cheese. An effortless weeknight meal the entire family will appreciate, especially during hectic evenings!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Healthier version – the ultimate comfort dish made lighter and loaded with over 30 grams of protein per serving thanks to turkey sausage and cottage cheese!
- Versatile – easily swap the veggies, pick your preferred pasta shape, and modify the protein to tailor this meal to your tastes.
- Family-friendly – this baked ziti is suitable for all ages, freezer-storable, and perfect for get-togethers.
- Ideal for meal preparation – this baked pasta dish yields the best leftovers and reheats beautifully without losing texture or flavor. The noodles absorb a wealth of flavor!
Essential Ingredients
- ziti noodles – the ultimate tubular pasta shape to cling to all that sauce and cheese, but you can substitute gluten-free pasta or whichever type you prefer.
- sauce – the key to this sauce’s amazing flavor is the combination of marinara sauce and vodka sauce! I personally recommend Rao’s brand for jarred pasta sauce.
- cottage cheese – substituting for whole milk ricotta cheese, but you genuinely wouldn’t notice! High in protein, it makes this ziti incredibly creamy.
- more cheese – we’re incorporating a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheese for that extra cheesy goodness!
- veggies – I used a mix of chopped onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach, but feel free to incorporate any vegetables you prefer.
- turkey sausage – I opt for flavorful turkey sausage since it’s a leaner choice, but you can use regular sausage, lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken if you like.
- garlic – you can choose fresh chopped garlic or minced garlic from a jar.
- seasonings – this recipe calls for Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- fresh basil – the ideal herb to finish the dish off!
Steps to Prepare Healthy Baked Ziti
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Step 2: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, drizzle a bit of olive oil and brown the turkey sausage until it crumbles and is cooked through.
Step 3: Next, mix in the chopped onion, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt/pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, then stir in 1 cup each of the marinara and vodka sauces. Let it simmer while you cook the ziti pasta.
Step 4: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, cook the ziti noodles until al dente, according to package directions, stirring occasionally. When cooked, drain the water using a colander, then transfer the pasta to the casserole dish.
Step 5: Turn off the heat for the vegetable and marinara mixture and mix in the spinach leaves until they start to wilt. Pour this mixture over the noodles in the casserole dish.
Step 6: Add the remaining marinara and vodka sauce, along with the cottage cheese and parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly until fully integrated. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Step 7: Cover the ziti with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly around the edges. Remove the foil and broil for 1-2 minutes to achieve a golden and bubbly top.
Step 8: Take it out of the oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Variations and Substitutions
- Pasta – if ziti noodles aren’t on hand, you can use similar shapes like rotini, penne, or fusilli. Lentil or chickpea pasta are great alternatives for extra protein and fiber.
- Veggies – this baked ziti features chopped onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach, but feel free to incorporate your favorite vegetables. Carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, and eggplant are all excellent options.
- Protein – skip the turkey sausage and try whichever ground meat you prefer such as ground turkey, ground beef, chicken, or even Italian sausage.
- Cheese – feel free to use any cheese blend that appeals to you in this baked ziti recipe!
How to Serve
This simple baked ziti may be filled with vegetables, but I love pairing it with even more fresh veggies or a salad on the side along with some crusty garlic bread. Here are some of my favorite accompaniments:
Can This Be Made in Advance?
Absolutely, which is one of the great benefits of baked ziti! Here are some preparation tips for making this baked ziti ahead of time:
- Prepare in Advance: Follow the instructions and create everything as directed up to the point of topping with mozzarella cheese. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. I recommend adding the shredded cheese just before placing the ziti in the oven.
- Reheating from the Fridge: Take the ziti out of the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to baking or simply add an extra 20 to 30 minutes of baking time.
- Prepare and Freeze: This also makes for a fantastic freezer meal! As mentioned earlier, assemble the ziti as directed (minus the cheese topping) and let it cool completely. Once cooled, tightly cover with foil and store in the freezer. When ready to eat, thaw overnight, then top with cheese and bake as instructed.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Preparation and Storage
To Store: This healthy baked ziti can last 4 to 5 days in the fridge when stored in a sealed, airtight container or covered with aluminum foil. When you’re ready to enjoy leftovers, just reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through, or microwave.
To Freeze: This baked ziti freezes very well too! Make sure to let the ziti cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or wrapping it in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. You can keep the ziti in the freezer for up to 2 months.
More Pasta Recipes
I hope you all enjoy this Easy Baked Ziti recipe! If it brings you as much joy as it does for us, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your tasty recreations!
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly spray a 9×13 baking tray with nonstick spray.
In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, drizzle a little olive oil and brown the turkey sausage until it crumbles and is cooked through.
Next, stir in the diced onion, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt/pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are soft, then add in 1 cup of both marinara and vodka sauces. Allow it to simmer while you prepare the pasta.
Bring a sizable pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, cook the ziti noodles until al dente, following the package instructions, stirring periodically. When done, drain using a colander and transfer the pasta to the casserole dish.
Shut off the heat for the veggie marinara mixture and add in the spinach leaves, blending until they begin to wilt. Pour this mixture over the noodles in the casserole dish.
Introduce the remaining marinara and vodka sauce, along with the cottage cheese and parmesan cheese. Thoroughly mix until everything is integrated. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly around the edges. Remove the foil and broil for an additional 1-2 minutes to achieve a golden and bubbly top.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and dig in!
Serving: 1/8th of recipe | Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 52.3g | Protein: 31.3g | Fat: 23.4g | Saturated Fat: 6.7g | Sodium: 960mg | Fiber: 3.7g | Sugar: 9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.