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Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: Lightened Up Baked Ziti
For some reason “easy baked ziti” popped into my head today as I was peering into the fridge this afternoon. A favorite growing up, I haven’t made it for years.
But as I was contemplating what to make for dinner, I saw staring back at me a everything I needed to put together a pan of baked ziti – cooked pasta, cottage cheese and a package of ground turkey.
How Many Calories and WW Points in Mom’s Easy Baked Ziti?
According to my calculations, each serving has about 364 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
9 SmartPoints (Green plan)
8 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
7 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
9 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Recipe Notes
Now there are dozens of ways to make an easy baked ziti from simple to complex.
You can use sausage or ground beef or turkey or make it vegetarian. And whatever variety and combination of cheese you prefer. In some recipes everything is stirred together and in others the pasta and sauce are layered like in lasagna.
I’m sure everyone has their favorite, but this simple easy version is based on what was available today in my kitchen.
This is an easy versatile recipe. Feel free to substitute sausage for the ground beef or turkey (or leave it out for a vegetarian option.) You also can add extra vegetables, cooked chopped mushrooms, zucchini, peppers and spinach all would be good.
Recipe Variations
Meat – Ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage would work, as would sliced meatballs.
Cheese – Ricotta or cottage cheese for creaminess. A layer of fresh slice mozzarella or provolone would be delicious.
Veg it Up – Add chopped cooked mushrooms, zucchini, peppers or spinach.
If you like this Easy Baked Ziti Made Lighter, be sure to check out some of my other Weight Watchers friendly recipes including Healthy 4-Ingredient Pasta with Pesto and Tomatoes, Creamy Slow Cooker Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta, Sausage Pasta with Vegetables, Light & Creamy Slow Cooker Pasta Primavera and Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta Fagioli
If you’ve made this Oven-Baked Pasta, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Easy Baked Ziti Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ziti or other short cut pasta, uncooked (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 pound extra lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3 cups spaghetti sauce
- 2 cups non-fat cottage cheese (pureed in a blender (affiliate link) for a creamier result, if desired)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cook ziti according to package directions. Drain, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, crumble meat in a large skillet (affiliate link) coated with non-stick cooking spray. Add onions. Saute, breaking up the meat into crumbles, until it is fully cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Stir the spaghetti sauce into the meat.
- In large bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly. Add cooked ziti and mix well.
- Spread about 1/3 of the meat, onion, and spaghetti sauce mixture in bottom of prepared pan.
- Spoon ziti and cheese mixture into pan.
- Pour the remaining sauce mixture over the top. Sprinkle with a little more grated Parmesan if desired.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 9 SmartPoints (Green plan) 8 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 7 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 8 PointsPlus (Old plan) Variations:
- Meat – Ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage would work, as would sliced meatballs
- Cheese – Ricotta or cottage cheese for creaminess. A layer of fresh slice mozzarella or provolone would be nice
- Veg it Up – Add chopped cooked mushrooms, zucchini, peppers or spinach
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am not a huge pasta person but i try to make it occasionally for my hubby. I used ricotta cheese and added some mushrooms and bell peppers- this was amazing!! So delicious and a huge hit with hubby. This will become part of our regular rotation! Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!!
(fellow Phoenician and WWer)
Michelle, Thanks for taking the time to let me know. So happy to hear you liked it 🙂
Delicious!!! I am not a huge pasta eater but my husband likes it so I try to make something healthy with pasta occasionally. This dish was sooooo good! It will definitely be one a regular in my rotation! Thank you!!