This pasta bake is a spin on the concept of baked ziti, but modified to fit the Mediterranean diet. We swap out beef for lean Italian chicken sausage, add in fresh zucchini and go light on the cheese without skimping on flavor. This recipe calls out specific brands of pasta and tomato sauce. Feel free to use regular penne pasta, but I love the Goodles brand because of its added fiber and protein content. I often use my homemade roasted tomato sauce (recipe coming soon) if I have on hand, but the Rao's brand is a great tasting swap with low sugar. A great summertime comfort food!
PrintZucchini and Chicken Sausage Pasta Bake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
8 ounces Goodles Lucky Penne Pasta
2 cups zucchini, chopped into ½" half moons
136 grams (about 2 links) sweet Italian chicken sausage, chopped into ½" coins
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup Rao's Tomato Basil Pasta sauce
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
⅓ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt and Pepper
*Optional: fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss cut zucchini and sausage in olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place zucchini and sausage in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Keep oven on at 400 degrees.
- Add pasta sauce, ricotta, and parmesan to pasta and lightly stir to incorporate.
- Add zucchini and sausage to pasta mixture. Add mixture to 8" x 8" baking pan.
- Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until cheese is just starting to crisp and brown on top.
Nutrition
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 3 grams
- Fat: 16 grams
- Carbohydrates: 46 grams
- Fiber: 8 grams
- Protein: 25 grams
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