This Healthy Baked Ziti is a twist on the classic Italian dish! This recipe is made using ground turkey and is super easy to make and a meal the whole family will love. It only consists of a few simple ingredients and makes a ton of leftovers!
This is a super easy and quick meal to prepare! Baked ziti made with ground turkey takes about 10 minutes to put together. I save this meal for my busy weeknights when I have zero time to cook but want to make sure I am making a healthy meal for myself and my family.
This healthy baked ziti is a must-try recipe! It is super flavorful and only requires a minimum amount of simple ingredients. The amount of food this meal makes could feed a crowd and you will be sure to have many leftovers.
If you're looking for more healthy pasta dishes then you need to try my Chicken Sausage Pasta and my Creamy Mushroom Pasta. These are both great weeknight dinner ideas that your family will be sure to enjoy!
Table of contents
Ingredients for this dish
You will need the following
- whole wheat ziti or penne - if you can't find the noodle ziti then you can always use penne instead. A fun ziti fact is ziti actually gets its name from zita which means bride. In Naples, ziti is the classic pasta served at weddings for the bride.
- fresh mozzarella - I prefer purchasing fresh mozz for this dish. The prepackaged shredded mozz has more salt and less flavor.
- grated parmesan - here you can also either purchase already grated parmesan or you can buy a block and grate it yourself.
- ground turkey - I prefer using 93% lean ground turkey.
- marinara sauce - your favorite store-bought marinara is the easiest way to go for this ingredient. Sometimes jarred sauce can lack richness to it and if that is the case feel free to add in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil.
- onion powder - I like adding onion powder to this dish because it adds a pungent, slightly sweet, and zesty flavor.
- garlic powder - this is my favorite seasoning to use and I probably use it in almost all of my dishes.
- Italian seasoning - I mean this dish has Italy written all over it so why not add some Italian seasoning into the mix? Italian seasoning is made up of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.
Directions to make this meal
Step-by-step directions on how to make this healthy baked ziti.
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Heat a large pot of 5 cups of water to a boil and add a dash of salt. Add your pasta to the boiling water and boil for 8 minutes. This amount of time will turn your pasta into an al dente pasta. Al dente is firm to the touch. Once cooked drain in a colander over the sink.
Step 2 - Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet add your ground turkey and cook until no longer pink turning throughout using a wooden spatula. Once all meat has turned brown drain in a colander over the sink then return to the pan. Add in onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add a ¼ cup of water and mix in your seasonings to coat the ground turkey.
Step 3 - In a large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, ground turkey, and your choice of marinara.
Step 4 - Spread half the mixture in the prepared casserole dish.
Step 5 - Top with half the mozzarella and 1 tbsp. parmesan. I like to chop up the mozzarella into squares for this part. Pour ½ cup water into the casserole dish.
Step 6 - Add the remaining pasta mixture, and top with remaining mozzarella and 1 tbsp. parmesan. For the top part of the cheese, I like to shred the cheese. Pour 1 cup water over the casserole, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour.
Step 7 - Remove the foil and turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the last tablespoon of parmesan over the casserole and broil for 2 - 3 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbling.
Substitutions and Variations
In case you don't happen to have all these ingredients on hand here are a few options you can swap with.
Ziti or Penne - if you can't find the noodle ziti then you can always use penne instead. A fun ziti fact is ziti gets its name from Zita which means bride. In Naples, ziti is the classic pasta served at weddings for the bride.
Ground Turkey - I prefer ground turkey over beef any day, but you can always opt for ground beef in place of the turkey.
Italian Seasoning - if you don't have this on hand you can just use 1 tsp of each basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.
Cheeses - Mozzarella is a staple, but you can always swap out your cheese for a different flavor. You can also try ricotta or provolone.
How can the kids help
Here are a couple of ways you can incorporate your kiddos into making the recipe.
- Have them add all the ingredients to the ground turkey mixture.
- Help them pour the pasta into the ground turkey and mix it away!
- They can layer the ingredients in the casserole dish.
Tips and FAQ's
This is why I add water to my dish before baking it. This helps to keep in extra moisture. Also, be sure to tightly wrap foil around before baking.
You can store your baked ziti in a freezer-sealed dish for up to 3 months or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Be sure to let your dish cool completely before storing.
If you decide to freeze your ziti and you are now ready to heat it up here is what to do. Place aluminum foil over the dish and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until cheese is bubbly and a knife can easily be inserted.
Other easy pasta dishes you will also LOVE
If you give this dish a try don't forget to rate the recipe below! Always love hearing what you all think. You can also Stay in touch with me through social media on @Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my healthy recipes!
Baked Ziti with Ground Turkey
Equipment
- casserole dish
- non-stick frying pan
- large mixing bowl
- large pot
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 lb whole wheat ziti or penne
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
- 1 lb ground turkey cooked
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Heat a large pot of 5 cups of water to a boil and add a dash of salt.
- Step 2 - Add your pasta to the boiling water and boil for 8 minutes. This amount of time will turn your pasta into an al dente pasta. Al dente is firm to the touch. Once cooked drain in a colander over the sink.
- Step 3 - Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet add your ground turkey and cook until no longer pink turning throughout using a wooden spatula. Once all meat has turned brown drain in a colander over the sink then return to the pan. Add in onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix in your seasonings to coat the ground turkey.
- Step 4 - In a large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, ground turkey, and your choice of marinara. Spread half the mixture in the prepared casserole dish and top with half the mozzarella and 1 tbsp. parmesan. Pour ½ cup water into the casserole dish, add the remaining pasta mixture, and top with remaining mozzarella and 1 tbsp. parmesan. Pour 1 cup water over casserole, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour.
- Step 5 - Remove the foil and turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the last tablespoon of parmesan over the casserole and broil 2 - 3 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbling.
Notes
- Have them add all the ingredients to the ground turkey mixture.
- Help them pour the pasta into the ground turkey and mix it away!
- They can layer the ingredients in the casserole dish.
Nutrition
Jillian is the creator of Jillian's Healthful Eats. She is the one who cooks all the meals, develops all the recipes, takes all the photographs, and washes all the dishes! She is a very busy wife and mother of 4 who enjoys cooking with her children and instilling in them her love for health and nutrition!
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