Healthy Baked Ziti
When I create recipes, health is top of mind. It makes writing about restaurant food difficult because as we all know, our favorite restaurant foods are almost always saturated in more butter, cream or cheese than we can imagine. While, in moderation, these can be part of a healthy diet, they easily become too much too quickly. I don’t like moderation. I get enjoyment from the actual process of eating food. On a day-to-day basis, I would rather have a huge portion of healthy food than a small portion of unhealthy food. So “healthy swaps” have been my go-to.
A “healthy swap” meal always consists of swapping some of your higher-fat, carb, or low-protein ingredients for ones with more protein, less fat and/or carbs. For my body type, this dish packs the perfect amount of macronutrients I need in a satiating dinner while giving me the portion sizes and elevated flavors I crave.
Swapped Ingredients
93/7 Ground Turkey
This is the first “healthy swap” and arguably makes the most difference. Instead of your classic pork/beef mixtures, turkey provides all your protein needs without any of the guilt. Each serving packs a protein punch of 25g/160 calories. An average package will be 4 servings.
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
Instead of your full-fat ricotta choose a low-fat cottage cheese. I am not a fan of “low-fat” ingredients, but when it comes to cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, I am all for it. Low-fat cottage cheese packs a protein punch of about 13g for 90 cal with about a ½ cup serving size.
Part Skim/Low-Moisture Mozzarella
Low-moisture mozzarella is the best diet hack I have. It keeps my love of cheese satiated while being the most macro-friendly of the cheeses. This is not a low-fat cheese; however, its macros are far better than a cheddar, pepper jack, swiss, etc. It is also kind to the wallet. A ¼ cup adds about 80 calories and 7g of protein.
Limited Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of my favorite sources of fat on this planet, and it is a healthy choice too. However, many people underestimate the caloric addition it adds to your meals. With the low-fat ground turkey, it may be smart to cook your meat in a maximum of 1 - 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil (150-300 cals) to provide the meat the fat it needs to cook without sticking. I generally avoid this step with non-stick pans.
Spinach
Spinach is one of my favorite ways to add vegetables to my dishes without dirtying extra dishes and spending 30 more minutes in prep. I simply add in whole spinach leaves and let it cook down. It is a magical vegetable in terms of its size. The portion you add will shrink to nearly 1/10th of its original size.
Warning: Cooking is a personal endeavor that requires tasting throughout and thoughtful trial and error. I do not claim to be a professional chef, I only aim to provide a guideline recipe designed to be tailored to your personal needs/goals.
Nutrition (estimates): 6 Servings
500 Calories
42g Protein
15g Fat
Recipe
1 Package of Ziti Noodles
1 cup Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
1-1/12 cups Low-Moisture Mozzarella
28 oz can of Crushed Tomatoes
1 package 93/7 Ground Turkey
½ package of Spinach
1 medium onion, diced
4 minced garlic cloves
Cumin to taste
White Pepper to taste
Red pepper flaked to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Fresh Basil (optional)
Key Steps
Preheat Oven to 375F
Boil Pasta in Salted Water - remove 1 minute before al dente (save ½ cup of pasta water)
Cook Ground Turkey over medium-high heat. Spice your meat with salt, pepper, cumin, and white pepper. Before it's cooked completely, crush meat with a fork or potato masher until crumbled.
Add in diced onion and minced garlic. Lower heat to medium. Saute until soft. Once soft, add in tomatoes and simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.
Once cooked, add pasta and saved pasta water to the tomato/meat mixture. Combine.
Add 1/2 of the pasta mixture to a deep baking pan. Add ½ of your cheese and all of your cottage cheese in dollops. Add in the rest of your pasta and top with the rest of your cheese. (It’s OK if it doesn’t all fit, save some for later!)
Bake covered in aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes until cheese is bubbly/browned. Serve and optionally top with fresh basil. Enjoy!
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