Low saturated fat doesn’t usually go hand-in-hand with rich, gooey cheese, so I set out to make a recipe that would satisfy my cheese craving as well as my low saturated fat requirement.
I started out with SkinnyTaste’s low fat baked ziti recipe, but kicked up the low fat a few notches. I also made it a bit easier to make by using a good quality jarred sauce. I added some garlic because we love the garlic around here. Add whatever herbs and spices are your favorite. I may try ground meat and fennel for a sausage flavor next time.
Low Fat Baked Ziti (or Rigatoni)
12 oz mini rigatoni, cooked al dente
2 cups of fat free mozzarella, divided
1 cup fat free ricotta
1 jar of marinara – I used Wegmans Grandma’s Pomodoro Sauce
6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb dried basil
Spray oil
- Preheat oven to 375 °.
- In medium sauce pan, lightly saute garlic until softened and fragrant.
- Add jar of sauce, ricotta, parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella.
- Add to pasta, stir to coat.
- Spray 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Pour pasta into baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of mozzarella on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
- Let sit for 5 minutes, cut into 8 squares.
Makes 8 servings, 1.1 g saturated fat.
It satisfied my cheese craving, the ricotta was nice and creamy and one portion was quite filling. Just one thing I want to solve for next time – the mozzarella topping was a bit hard. I think next time I’ll toss the mozzarella with a small amount of watered down marinara. I’m hopeful that the added moisture will keep the cheese more gooey.
But as is, it’s pretty darn good and I have lots of leftovers. I can see trying this recipe as the base for eggplant rolatini or a nice chicken parmigiana. Yum.
