This Lightened Up Pizza Pasta Bake has all the pizza flavors you love- with pasta!! This is a meal the whole family will love!
Author: thepounddropper.com
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Additional Time15 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
AD
Ingredients
- 12 oz. uncooked, Fiber Gourmet light rotini or Barilla Plus Rotini or Penne or whole grain rotini or penne pasta – I like to use Fiber Gourmet light rotini
- 1 lb Isernio’s Italian chicken sausage or Jennie-O Italian Turkey sausage – I use Isernio’s chicken sausage
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/3 cup or 1 oz. Hormel mini pepperoni or 15 slices turkey pepperoni, diced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 3 cups zero point marinara sauce
- 1 cup reduced fat or fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded – I use Pantry Market low moisture part skim mozzarella from Target
- 2 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped-optional
- 2 Tbsp diced black olives, optional
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and the cheese is bubbling. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch or 3- quart baking dish with non stick cooking spray; set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and until it’s very al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a skillet add the chicken or turkey sausage and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up into pieces using a spatula, until browned.
Stir in the onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.
Add 2 cups of the zero point marinara sauce to the turkey sausage mix and stir until combined. Remove from heat.
Combine cooked pasta and turkey sausage mixture into a large bowl. Stir to combine. Fold in 1/2 cup of the cheese.
Pour pasta mix into prepared baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce in an even layer over the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Top mini pepperonis or turkey pepperoni, olives, and fresh parsley, if desired.
