Baked Veggie Ziti

Who doesn’t love pasta? There is something so comforting about it. Unfortunately it is usually loaded with carbs and fat. But never fear, Jessi is here! I found this awesome recipe in this month’s Cooking Light and made a few slight adaptations.

Ingredients

• 1 box of Ziti (I used Dreamfields penne)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 cups of chopped yellow squash
• 1 cup of chopped zucchini
• 1 cup of chopped eggplant
• 1/2 cup of sweet yellow onion
• 2 cups of tomato
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I used a little more than that cuz I love this stuff)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten
• cooking spray
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper if you like a little kick to your pasta

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash, zucchini and saute about 5 minutes. Then add Eggplant, onion, tomato and garlic, saute until soft. Remove from heat and stir in pasta, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few dashes of pepper.

3. Combine ricotta, remaining salt and egg. Stir into pasta mixture. Stir mixture into a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes. Broil on high for about a minute or until browning on top. Let sit for several minutes before serving. And enjoy!