Healthful Loaf-Pan Pasta Bake
A simple recipe that satisfied my lasagna cravings w/o all the guilt, because I knew what went in it! And because it's cooked in a loaf pan (I used 9") - it makes a sensible 4-6 servings ~ just pair with salad or some fresh steamed veggies for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup whole grain "thick" pasta, uncooked (something that holds onto sauce well, like rotini or rigatoni as opposed to angel hair)
6-8 oz. lowfat ricotta cheese (could theoretically be nonfat, but that little bit of fat really helps out with the flavors)
4-6 oz. lowfat mozzarella, shredded (again, could be theoretically nonfat, but it won't melt/brown as well)
20 oz. tomato/spaghetti sauce (store-bought or homemade)
salt/pepper/other herbs or condiments to season.
Optional:
6 oz. sliced veggies of choice, mushrooms, zucchinis, eggplants, etc.
6 oz. lean ground beef or chicken breast, diced
Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente (firm & tender) - drain thoroughly ~ can be done up to a day ahead of time, though the pasta may stick and you may need to separate them by hands.
2) Preheat oven to 375 F, use cooking spray on loaf pan as needed.
3) Spoon dropfuls of ricotta cheese onto the bottom of the pan. Use the bottom of the spoon (or your cleaned hands) to spread it until the entire bottom of loaf pan is covered - this prevents pasta @ the bottom from getting burnt while giving you a nice baked cheesey bottom crust.
4) Put down enough pasta to cover the ricotta cheese (should be about half of what you made) - cover with sauce (again about half of what you have), top with a handful of the mozz, then your optional ingredients, if you're using any (I had some mixed mushrooms in the freezer, so I threw that in.)
5) Repeat again with the spoon dropping of ricotta (no need to spread this time around), then the layering of pasta and sauce. Top with the rest of the mozzrella ~ season as desired (I used a generous handful of pepper.)
6) Put in oven on cookie sheet and bake for about 40-45 minutes, then another 10 minutes at 450 F to help brown the cheese on top (use this time to fix your salad/steam your veggies/make your drinks/etc.).
7) Serve & enjoy!
I don't have an accurate calorie count on this since this recipe is so customizable (in portions, ingredients used, etc.) but it's probably not too hard to calculate since you're not throwing in a whole lot of different stuff in there. Regardless, it's a pretty healthful dish that incorporates some veggies & whole grains while tasting like something out of an Italian restaurant.
Storing should be easy (just cover the leftovers in loaf pan with saran wrap or foil) as is cleaning (let it soak a while in dish-soap water, then scrub away).
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