Skillet Baked Ziti

Love to cook, hate to do dishes...  Many baked ziti recipes require lots of steps resulting in plenty of dishes to wash at the end of the meal.  I was really excited to try this recipe for skillet baked ziti when I found it in one of my newest cookbooks, America's Test Kitchen...Light and Healthy 2010.  I was really happy with how this dish turned out, and true to word, it requires only one skillet to cook everything in.

The pasta is cooked right in the sauce in the skillet.  You will want to make sure your skillet is oven safe...so that you can melt the cheese on top in the last step.  Once out of the oven, be sure to wrap the handle in a towel, to remind you its HOT!  The original recipe gave very generous two cup servings, but to get the points plus values down, I increased the servings for the recipe to 6 instead of 4, giving each serving about a 1 1/4 cups of pasta...which was still a nice amount.   It also called for fresh basil, something else I do not readily have on hand this time of year, so I subbed dried and added it before the pasta, so it had time to flavor the sauce. If you want to use fresh, add it after the pasta is done cooking and before you put it in the oven to melt the cheese, so it keeps its fresh flavor. I used penne pasta since that is what I had in my pantry. I used my scale to weigh the cheeses and the pasta amounts. This dish was quick and easy and a great weeknight meal.

Skillet Baked Ziti adapted from America's Test Kitchen Light and Healthy 2010

Servings - 6   Serving size - 1/6th of recipe   PointsPlus per svg - 8 points+

Calories - 295.8   Total Fat - 6.3g,   Carbs. - 49.3,  Protein - 14.2g,   Fiber - 7.2g

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes ( low sodium if possible)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

salt and pepper, in amounts as desired

3 cups water

2 tsp dried basil OR 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

12 ounces whole wheat ziti or penne pasta

1/4 cup fat free half and half

1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated ( about 1/2 cup)

4 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded ( about 1 cup)
chopped parsley, for garnish, if desired

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees F.  Pulse the tomatoes, with their juices, in a food processor until mostly smooth.  

2.  Combine the garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes in a 12 inch oven-safe skillet and cook over med heat until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute.  Stir in the processed tomatoes and add salt to your liking ( I used 1/2 tsp)  and the dried basil.  ( If using fresh, add after the pasta has cooked )  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to med-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to thicken, about 10 minutes.  

3.  Stir in the water, then add pasta.  Cover, increase the heat to med-high, and cook, stirring often ( pasta will try to stick to bottom of pan just keep it moving to avoid this)  and adjusting the heat to maintain a simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 15 -18 minutes. 

4.  Turn off the heat and stir in the fat free half and half, Parmesan, and fresh basil, if using and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and begun to brown, 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This recipe is definitely going to make the regular dinner rotation at my house.  It was quick and easy, inexpensive, and made with mostly items I always have on hand.  I have really become a huge fan of America's Test Kitchen lately, and was so happy to see an entire cookbook devoted to making dishes light and healthy.  I am really enjoying this cookbook.  Besides the recipes, it gives tips on preparation as well as product reviews.  I am anxious to try many of the other recipes in it.  It has quickly become my go to cookbook these days.  Although I enjoy getting recipes and inspiration from the internet, nothing beats a good cookbook.   Do you have a favorite  "go to" cookbook ?