Home > Recipes > Casseroles > Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

Name: Baked Ziti
Prep time: 20

(11 votes, average: 4.09 out of 5)

20 min prep

8 servings

Carrot Icon for Number of Ingredients Size

8 ingredients

Baked ziti was a revelation when I came to the US. We never ate pasta like this at home. How could I have missed out on something so simple and delicious for so long?...

12 kale leaves, stems discarded
8 ounces whole wheat ziti, penne or rigatoni
Salt, to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 pound Italian chicken sausage
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼-inch dice
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups marinara sauce, or Quick Tomato Sauce

Missing an Ingredient?

Visit our ingredient substitution guide.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

450 cals

Fat

24 g

Saturated Fat

11 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

3 g

Monounsaturated Fat

8 g

Carbohydrates

32 g

Sugar

6 g

Fiber

4 g

Protein

27 g

Sodium

1307 mg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Drop in the kale leaves, cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and run under cold water, squeeze out the water and roughly chop. Place into a large bowl.
Bring the water back up to a boil and cook the pasta 3 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and transfer to the large bowl with kale.
Meanwhile, in a skillet heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the chicken sausage and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until well browned. Place on a cutting board, and cut into ½-inch dice. Add to the pasta mixture.
Toss the pasta, kale, and sausage with fresh mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and Quick Tomato Sauce. Taste for salt, then pour into a 9- by 12-inch baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes covered with foil, then another 5 to 10 uncovered or until well browned. Serve.

Chef Tips

If you’re vegetarian, just leave out the sausage!

If you’re gluten free, sub the rigatoni out for some gluten-free penne.

Registered Dietitian Approved

All our recipes are created by chefs and reviewed by our oncology-trained staff Registered Dietitian, Kate Ueland, MS, RD, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and meets the standards set by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.