Comforting and delicious Healthy Baked Ziti packed with veggies, flavorful turkey sausage and makes the perfect weeknight meal the whole family will love! Leftovers guaranteed!
There is nothing more comforting than than a bowl of warm, cheesy baked ziti, am I right?? This baked ziti recipe has all the flavor and heartiness you want in a classic ziti dish, but is made healthier with lean turkey sausage, protein-packed cottage cheese and a variety of fresh veggies. Easy to make your family will love this! My 4 year old gobbled it right up!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- The ultimate comfort food lightened-up that the whole family will love!
- Packed with veggies, three types of cheeses and high in protein.
- The secret to this baked ziti is combining both marinara sauce and vodka sauce!
- Easily customizable for your family’s preferences.
- Always feeds a crowd with plenty of leftovers!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- ziti noodles – the perfect tube shape pasta to hold on to all that sauce and cheese, feel free to use gluten-free pasta as well.
- sauce – the secret to the incredible flavor of this sauce is using a combination of marinara sauce and vodka sauce! I used Rao’s brand for both.
- cottage cheese – this is in place of ricotta cheese, but you’d never know! Packed with protein and makes this ziti so creamy.
- more cheese – we’re also adding in a mixture of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese for even more cheesy flavor!
- veggies – I used a combination of chopped onion, zucchini, mushrooms and spinach, but feel free to use whatever vegetables you like best.
- turkey sausage – I prefer using flavorful turkey sausage as it is leaner than regular sausage or ground beef and has more flavor than ground turkey.
- garlic – you can use fresh chopped garlic or minced garlic from the jar.
- seasonings – you’ll need Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper for this recipe.
- fresh basil – the perfect herb to finish off this dish!
If you want to make this with homemade marinara sauce, check out my simple marinara sauce or this loaded veggie tomato sauce to pack in even more vegetables!
How to Make Healthy Baked Ziti
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and coat a 9×13 baking dish with a little nonstick spray.
Step 2: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, drizzle a little olive oil and brown the turkey sausage, cooking until crumbled and slightly cooked through.
Step 3: Next, add in the chopped onion, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt/pepper. Sauté everything together until the veggies are tender and then add in 1 cup each of the marinara sauce and vodka sauce. Let that simmer while you prepare the pasta.
Step 4: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the ziti noodles until al dente, according to the package directions, and stir the pasta occasionally. When the pasta is finished cooking, use a colander to drain the water, and then transfer the pasta to the casserole dish.
Step 5: Turn off the heat of the veggie marinara mixture and add in the spinach leaves, mixing well until they start to wilt. Transfer this mixture over the noodles in the casserole dish.
Step 6: Pour in the remaining marinara and vodka sauce, the cottage cheese and the parmesan cheese. Mix everything well, until fully combined. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Step 7: Cover the ziti with foil and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly around the edges. Remove the foil and broil the dish for 1-2 minutes to get the top golden and bubbly.
Step 8: Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with fresh basil and enjoy!
Variations and Substitutions
- Pasta – if you don’t have ziti noodles, feel free to use a similar shape such as rotini, penne or fussili pasta.
- Veggies – this baked ziti has chopped onion, zucchini, mushrooms and spinach, but feel free to add whatever vegetables you like best. Carrots, bell peppers, broccoli and eggplant all make great choices.
- Protein – skip the turkey sausage and use whatever ground meat you like best such as ground turkey, ground beef, chicken or even Italian sausage.
- Cheese – feel free to use whatever type of cheese blend you’d like in this ziti!
How to Serve
This easy baked ziti may be loaded with vegetables, but I love serving this with even more fresh veggies or a salad on the side! Here are my favorites:
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
- Perfectly Roasted Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes
- Easy Balsamic Arugula Salad
- Roasted Chickpea Kale Salad
Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes you sure can, which is the great thing about baked ziti! Here are some tips for prepping this baked ziti ahead of time:
- Make Ahead of Time: Follow the instructions and make everything as directed up until topping with mozzarella cheese. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to bake. I don’t recommend adding the shredded cheese until right before putting the ziti in the oven.
- Reheating from Fridge: Remove the ziti from the fridge and let it sit out at room temp for about 30 minutes before baking or simply add 20 to 30 minutes of extra baking time.
- Make Ahead and Freeze: This is a great freezer meal too! As I said above, assemble the ziti as directed (except for topping with cheese) and let it cool completely. Once the ziti is cooled, cover tightly with foil and store in the freezer. When ready to enjoy, let it thaw out overnight then top with cheese and bake as directed.
Prepping and Storage
To Store: This healthy baked ziti will last 4 to 5 days stored in the fridge in a sealed, airtight container or covered in aluminum foil. When ready to enjoy leftovers, simply reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through or warm up in the microwave.
To Freeze: This baked ziti freezes really well too! Make sure to cool the ziti completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container or wrap in plastic wrap then aluminum foil. You can store the ziti in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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More Pasta Recipes
- Saucy Peanut Noodles with Chicken
- Skillet Veggie and Cheese Stuffed Shells
- Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad
- Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Easy Beef Stroganoff Casserole
- Sun Dried Tomato, Chicken and Gnocchi
Hope you all enjoy this Healthy Baked Ziti and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me 
below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Healthy Baked Ziti
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Ingredients
- 1 lb ziti noodles
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey sausage
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium zucchini chopped into small chunks
- 8 oz petite baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups marinara sauce, halved I used Rao's
- 2 cups vodka sauce, halved I used Rao's
- 2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and coat a 9×13 baking pan with a little nonstick spray.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, drizzle a little olive oil and brown the turkey sausage, cooking until crumbled and slightly cooked through.
- Next, add in the chopped onion, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt/pepper. Sauté everything together until the veggies are tender and then add in 1 cup each of the marinara sauce and vodka sauce. Let that simmer while you prepare the pasta.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the ziti noodles until al dente, according to the package directions, and stir the pasta occasionally. When the pasta is finished cooking, use a colander to drain the water, and then transfer the pasta to the casserole dish.
- Turn off the heat of the veggie marinara mixture and add in the spinach leaves, mixing well until they start to wilt. Transfer this mixture over the noodles in the casserole dish.
- Pour in the remaining marinara and vodka sauce, the cottage cheese and the parmesan cheese. Mix everything well, until fully combined. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the ziti with foil and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly around the edges. Remove the foil and broil the dish for 1-2 minutes to get the top golden and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with fresh basil and enjoy!
Nutrition
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