Here’s a nutritious and delicious meal that’s great for the entire family to enjoy. Using ingredients like shredded zucchini, finely diced kale or spinach, and red kidney beans helps add extra nutrients to the meal without altering its flavor.
When making this meal, the pasta gets cooked in a pot until its cooked to your desired likeness. Simultaneously, the veggie meat sauce and the ricotta cheese mixtures are prepared which are both filled with nutrients and flavor. Finally, all of these mixtures/ingredients are combined together in a layering method and baked in the oven until the cheese has melted and everything has warmed through. It’s such a tasty meal that reminds me of the flavors of lasagna.
I especially like having leftovers from this meal, which means I can pack it in a lunchbox for my kids the next day or serve it as part of our dinner the following day.
Baked Ziti packed here in my kid’s lunchbox in a preheated thermos, along with whole milk, honey cinnamon sweet thins, strawberries, and peaches.
Baked Ziti with Kidney Beans, Kale, and Zucchini
Here’s a nutritious and delicious meal that’s great for the entire family to enjoy. Using ingredients like shredded zucchini, finely diced kale or spinach, and red kidney beans can help add extra nutrients to the meal without altering its flavor.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground beef or turkey, I used organic grass-fed ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (finely diced)
- 24 ounces jarred marinara sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 13 or 15 ounces of canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup zucchini, shredded and moisture wrung out
- salt and pepper
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- about 16 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese (will use to add some to the mixture and some when layering)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 of cilantro or parsley, finely diced
- 1/2 cup basil, diced
- 1 cup of spinach or 1 medium kale, finely diced
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound (16 ounces) ziti or penne pasta
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Cook the pasta, drain the water, add a little bit of avocado oil to prevent from sticking (mix) and set it aside (covered).
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. To prepare the ingredients, shred the zucchini, measure 1 cup, transfer it to a kitchen towel, and wring out its moisture. Set the zucchini aside. Also prepare the rest of the ingredients by dicing what’s needed.
- Add the thawed ground beef or turkey to a hot skillet and cook-may add some oil to the skillet if needed. Break the meat up and cook until the pink is no longer visible. Add the diced onion, garlic and mix. Allow the meat to fully cook through, while occasionally mixing.
- Once the meat has cooked, add the marinara sauce, heavy cream, red kidney beans, shredded zucchini (with the moisture wrung out), 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of salt (salt to taste-the amount of salt added also depends on the amount of salt that’s in the marinara sauce). Mix to combine. Once the sauce boils, lower the heat to low, and allow it to simmer for about 15-20 minutes (uncovered). Taste for salt, add more if desired.
- While that simmers, make the cheese mixture.
- Add the ricotta cheese to a bowl. Also add the small diced kale or spinach, cilantro or parsley, basil (see note below), and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Mix to combine. Add the egg. Mix. Add 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Mix. Note: I like to grate my own cheese which results into cheese that’s more flavorful and fresh.
- Add the ricotta cheese mixture to the drained pasta along with a small amount (about 1 cup) of the meat mixture (we will need most of the meat mixture for the layering process). Mix to combine.
- Place a 9×13 casserole dish or a baking dish with tall sides over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The baking sheet will grab any drippings from the baked ziti which will help prevent a mess from happening in the oven.
- Add half the pasta cheese mixture to a large casserole dish and evenly spread it out. Add half of the meat mixture and evenly spread it out. Finally sprinkle some mozzarella cheese.
- Continue this process once more: pasta, meat mixture, top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake it in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the sides are bubbling
- Let it stand for a few minutes and serve.
Notes
To dice the basil or chiffonade: stack the basil leaves on top of one another, roll the leaves to look like a long stick, dice it into strips.
