"healthified" baked ziti and spinach salad oh my!

Tonight was another "healthify a classic favorite" night!  I can't tell you how happy my hubb was when I told him we were having baked ziti.  Especially since I was planning to use our favorite sweet italian sausage from Babes in the Woods.  This sausage is so good and so lean...I didn't even have to drain any fat out of the pan after I cooked it.  It browned and crumbled perfectly.  I also used fat free ricotta and low-moisture part-skim mozzarella to help lower the fat, and whole grain brown rice pasta instead of semolina...you can't even tell the difference!  Brian said he honestly wouldn't have known that I used fat free ricotta if I hadn't told him...woohoo!  This recipe is so easy...just brown the sausage, boil the noodles, mix everything together and pop it in the oven at 350* for 30 minutes.  Dinner? Done.  Of course, you don't want to have it every night or even every week, but the "healthified" version is much better for you than the original!

"Healthified" Baked Ziti

makes 12 servings

calories: 286  fat: 8.3g  sat fat: 3g  carbs: 37.1g  fiber: 2.4g  sugar: 6.4g  protein: 15.4g

Ingredients:

• 16 oz brown rice penne pasta


• 1 jar marinara sauce (about 3 cups)


• 15 oz container of fat free ricotta cheese (I used Sorrento)


• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, browned


• 1-1/2 cups part-skim low-moisture mozzarella cheese

Steps:

1. Boil noodles until al dente and drain.  If using brown rice pasta noodles beware...they only take a few minutes to soften.


2. Brown sausage on medium heat in non-stick pan.


3. In large bowl, mix pasta and sausage together.


4. In smaller bowl, mix together ricotta and marinara sauce.  Pour ricotta/sauce mixture into bowl with pasta and sausage and toss until coated.


5. Spread mixture in 9x13 pan and top with shredded cheese (I used a bit of cheddar/jack because I ran out of mozzarella).


6. Pop in oven at 350* for 30 minutes.

Dinner:  I had one serving of ziti, which was PLENTY for me. (Just picture cutting the shorter width into 3 pieces and the long width into 4 pieces).  I think Brian had three...  I also made a giant spinach salad with

• 3 cups fresh spinach


• 1/3 cucumber


• 1/4 yellow bell pepper


• 1/2 cup hearts of palm (love love love love these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)


• 1/2 a chopped celery stalk


• 1 tbsp Ken's Lite Ranch


• sprinkle of sliced almonds

And a Pellegrino White Cranberry Juice bevi...







And for dessert, my FAVORITE sorbet, Ciao Bella!!!  (in blood orange flavor...yum!)  This stuff is amazing, trust me.  And only 98 calories for 1/2 cup.  Yum.



I am now completely and totally full and satisfied.  :)  Are there any classic favorite comfort food recipes that you've "healthified"?