Easy Baked Ziti Recipe

3.83 from 34 votes

Weight Watchers friendly easy baked ziti made light and delicious, for a comforting dinner the whole family will love!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: baked pasta, healthy pasta recipe, pasta with ground beef

Servings:

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 for a creamier result, if desired)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

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 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.

Serving size: 1/6th recipe

WW Points: 6

Check the WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app.
(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