Vegetarian Baked Ziti
By: Helen Pitlick
Published: Friday, December 10, 2010 - 1:02am

Ingredients




6 ounces uncooked ziti pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups onion chopped
2 cloves garlic  minced 
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes with no added salt 
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce 
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 can (15.5 oz) great northern beans, drained and rinsed or other 6 ounces ricotta cheese (part-skim or fat-free)
3 ounces reduced fat monterey jack cheese, shredded or 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

1 Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well.  2 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a two-quart baking dish with oil or non-stick cooking spray; set aside.  3 Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrot; saute 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomatoes with juice, breaking them up with a spoon. Add tomato sauce, mushrooms and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. 4 Stir in beans and heat through. Remove pan from heat. Add drained pasta, shredded cheese; crumble in ricotta or tofu; toss gently. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

About


This baked ziti makes a nutritionally-balanced meal in itself. Those with heartier appetites might add some whole-grain bread and a tossed salad or fruit.  475 calories and 13 grams fat per serving (with fat-free ricotta, 9 grams fat and 437 calories per serving).