Baked Ziti – A Great Italian and Vegetarian Dish

A Great Italian and Vegetarian Meal 

If you’re trying to reduce your intake of meat or looking for a great Meatless Monday dish, try my family recipe for homemade Baked Ziti. Baked Ziti makes a healthy, delicious meal. Just add a fresh, organic salad to get your daily dose of greens and… you’re all set with a nutritious dinner.

You can use traditional ziti pasta or if you want more fiber, a whole wheat ziti pasta could work too; however, it will change the flavor somewhat.

High in Nutrition

This recipe uses tomato sauce. Tomato sauce, when cooked in a healthy way with olive oil, garlic, and herbs (to taste) will provide you nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C and lycopene.

Ziti Pasta by Carole Jakucs, 2022. Image Subject to copyright. 

And you’ll get protein and calcium from the cheese in this dish. Baked Ziti makes for a healthy and filling meal that’s packed with nutrients and is also easy to serve if you’re having guests. 

Marinara Tomato Sauce by Carole Jakucs, 2022. Image subject to copyright.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of Ziti style Pasta

• 2 pounds of Ricotta Cheese (use part-skim if you want less saturated fat)

• 2 eggs (organic, free-range is the healthiest choice)

• ½ pound of Grated Mozzarella Cheese (use reduced fat for less saturated fat)

• ½ cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese

• Salt, Pepper, and Parsley to taste

• Tomato Sauce of your choice (if using canned tomatoes, you’ll want to prepare 2-large cans (28      ounces each) of crushed tomatoes in puree, use organic for less exposure to pesticides)

Ricotta, Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheeses and Herbs by Carole Jakucs, 2022. Image subject to copyright. 

Instructions:

Cook or heat the Italian Tomato sauce of your choice and season to taste. Once cooked, you’ll need to make and heat enough sauce to use at the bottom of the baking dish, and for spreading across the pan the middle layers. You’ll need to have some extra sauce on the side when serving and eating the baked Ziti, so each person can add sauce to their plate as they wish (some like more sauce, and some prefer less sauce).

Cook the Ziti pasta according to the package label for al dente, drain, place on the side, and let it slightly cool. Don’t overcook the pasta, as it will cook more when it bakes then become too soft.

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, grated mozzarella, and grated parmesan – add salt, pepper, and parsley to taste. Keep on the side.

Grease (with olive oil spray or brush with olive oil) the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Place on the side.

Now – you’re ready to start layering…

Spread a thin layer of Tomato Sauce on the entire bottom of the baking dish.

Use one half of the cooked Ziti, to spread evenly over the sauce. (Save the other half of the Ziti for one more layer).

Next, spread a thin layer of Tomato Sauce over the first layer of Ziti pasta.

Then, spread the entire Ricotta Cheese mixture as your next layer, over the sauce.

Add a little more sauce now along the entire length of the pan, over the Ricotta mixture.

Use the rest of the Ziti pasta as the next layer of the pan.

Last, spread a little more sauce (to your liking) over the last layer of Ziti.

Baked Ziti - Ready for the Oven by Carole Jakucs, 2022. Image subject to copyright. 

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 – 55 minutes (depending on your oven). You’ll want to place the baking dish on a large, heavy baking tray or cookie tray for support and for greater ease in moving the heavy pan into and out of the oven.

If you want a slightly crispiness to the top, you can remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.

Buon appetito! Enjoy!

Italian Vegetable Bean Soup by Carole Jakucs, RN

Fall is here and with it our craving for warm, healthy soups. I created this recipe to have a hearty yet healthy soup for my family and I to eat when the cold weather hits.

This soup is dense with a variety of vegetables so packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Two examples are zucchini and spinach: They both contain Vitamin A and carotenoids which help maintain eye health.

The beans provide fiber and protein too. If you want more protein, you can use chicken "bone" broth. 

If you’re a vegan, just replace the bone broth or chicken broth with vegetable broth for your liquid. It will still taste great.

Italian Vegetable Bean Soup by Carole Jakucs, RN. 
October, 202. Image subject to copyright. 

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (16-oz) bag of frozen spinach
• 5 large celery stalks, rinsed and chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped 
• 1 medium to large sized green Italian zucchini
• 1 small to medium yellow squash (summer)
• 1 (32-ounce) container chicken bone broth, chicken broth or 
         vegetable broth
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well. 
        (You can substitute with great northern beans)
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice (or 2, 15-ounce cans)
• 3 - 4 tablespoons Italian seasoning to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic powder to taste

Italian Vegetable Bean Soup by Carole Jakucs, RN. 
October, 2021. Image subject to copyright.

Instructions

• Heat olive oil for one minute over low heat in a 5 or 6-quart pot. 

• Add onions, celery, zucchini, and squash. Cook for 4 - 6 minutes, stirring frequently.

• Add spinach and cook for an additional 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

• Add broth, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and  garlic powder to taste.

• Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and cover keeping at a gentle simmer. Cook  with the lid on for 20 – 25 minutes. 

Enjoy and stay healthy!

Fried Zucchini – The Healthy Way

Zucchini is so versatile – you can cook it in so many ways. It’s also nutritious: Containing fiber, magnesium, potassium, Vitamins A and C and more. Zucchini is also low in carbs and is fat free.

One of my son’s recently gave me a homegrown zucchini that was supersized. So, instead of my usual way of preparing it, which is to chop it up, then sauté with onion and tomato and Italian herbs (will post this recipe in the future), I decided to slice it, due to its large size.

It’s a simple recipe and all you need is:

One large zucchini (big enough to make long slices)

1-2 eggs

Flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 -2 tablespoons of Olive oil (for your pan)

Directions:

Slice the zucchini as evenly as possible so you end up with pieces of similar size.

Dip each slice in a bowl containing the beaten egg (have a 2nd egg handy, you may need it).

Dredge each egg coated slice of zucchini in flour.

Place the coated, sliced zucchini pieces in a frying pan that has already been prepared with olive oil and slightly heated.

Cook at a low to medium heat.

Turn over each slice after about 4 – 6 minutes, and cook the other side for the same amount of time.

Let cool and enjoy!

This is a great side dish, good in a sandwich, or makes for a great meatless meal, after topping it with some shredded mozzarella or grated Romano or parmesan cheese.

Carole's Italian kale, white bean and vegetable soup

After several creative sessions in the kitchen, I came up with this recipe for a healthy, delicious, nutrient dense soup. Kale is loaded with vitamins K, C and A. 

The other vegetables in this recipe are bursting with vitamins and nutrients too.

Among their many important functions, vitamin K is essential for bone health, vitamin C supports our immune system, and vitamin A is necessary for eye health.

Even though our bodies process beans as carbohydrates, cannellini beans have a fair amount of protein and fiber. And if you decide to use bone broth, it will add more protein. 

Carole Jakucs Italian Kale, white bean and vegetable soup - 2020 - image subject to copyright.

Carole's Italian Kale, White Bean and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (16-oz) bag of peeled, baby carrots, sliced or chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 – 4 large celery stalks, rinsed and chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium sweet or yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups chopped)
• 1 bunch of kale rinsed, remove large stems and finely chop the remaining leaves (about 6 loosely packed cups of kale leaves)
• 1 (32-ounce) container chicken bone broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans (drained), you can substitute great northern beans if you don’t have cannellini beans
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
• If you like potato in your soup, you can add one medium potato, skinned and finely chopped (this is optional)
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
• 2 – 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil for one minute over low heat in a 5 or 6-quart pot. Add onions, celery, carrots and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add kale and cook for an additional 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add broth, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, potato (if you decide to use), garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and cover keeping a gentle simmer. Cook with lid for 25 – 35 minutes, or until carrots are tender. 

Carole Jakucs Italian kale, white bean, and vegetable-soup - 2020 - image subject to copyright.

Try this soup and enjoy. Wishing you good health!

Delicious and Nutritious: Eggplant Parmesan

Happy New Year! Here is a great way to fulfill your New Year's diet resolution with a tasty and healthy dish. Eggplant contains fiber and is low in calories, tomato sauce is packed Vitamin C and Potassium and Ricotta Cheese is high in protein (whey). It is also vegetarian (if you use Marinara style tomato sauce) and low in fat.

Carole’s Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

2 Small Eggplants (approximately 6 - 8 inches in length by 3 inches in width)

3 - 4 Large Eggs (2 - 3 for dipping the eggplant in, 1 for use in the Ricotta Cheese Mixture)

2 cups of Italian Style Bread Crumbs

1 pound container of Fat Free or Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
8 ounces of Shredded Mozzarella (Part Skim)

2 teaspoons of oregano, salt and pepper to taste

2 - 3 cups of Italian style Marinara Tomato Sauce (depending on preference)

1/4 - 1/2 cup of Olive Oil or Canola Oil 
2 Small to Medium bowls to prep/dip the eggplant
Pan spray; olive oil or canola, for prepping the baking dish.
1/4 - 1/2 cup of Grated Italian Parmesan Cheese (Romano will work too).
Wax paper (for use in preparing the eggplant)

1 Medium mixing bowl (to prepare the Ricotta Cheese)

1 large non-stick style fry pan, 12 inch size

1 large baking dish, 13 x 8 inches in size

*Try to use:

• Eggs with Omega 3 (it will be on the label/carton)
• Bread Crumbs without hydrogenated oil
• Marinara Sauce (if you're buying prepared sauce) without high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oil
• Ricotta cheese that is fat free or part skim and Mozzarella that is part skim

*Doing these 4 things above will yield an even healthier final dish.

Cut the eggplant in ¼ inch size width slices.  Start with one egg and whip in a small bowl. Place ½ cup of bread crumbs in a separate small bowl.  One by one, dip each eggplant slice in the egg bowl, coat both sides in the bread crumbs. Once each eggplant slice is dipped in both, place on a separate platter, separate the layers of prepared eggplant with wax paper so they don’t stick together.  (Add the 2^nd egg as needed to the egg bowl and add more bread crumbs to that bowl, depending on your preference/how thick a layer of bread crumb you want to coat each piece with).

After all of the eggplant is prepared, place approximately 1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons of oil in the pan, now you can begin to lightly saute them on the stove top, approximately 3 minutes on each side or until soft to the touch and slightly browned on the outside.  Place the cooked eggplant in a separate dish (different from the one used for the uncooked eggplant), separate each layer with wax paper as you proceed (as above).

Helpful Hints:

• Add a little more oil each time you add new pieces of eggplant as needed if the oil dries up.  However, if using a good non-stick type of fry pan, you won’t need too much oil. The goal is for the olive oil to add to the taste of the dish. If you use canola, it is a healthy oil also, but it won't add any flavor. 
• The pan will get hotter the longer you cook the eggplant, lower the heat accordingly when this occurs, so the eggplant will not burn. *if using olive oil, please remember is has a lower "smoke point", so you will need to maintain a low to medium heat to prevent smoking and burning.

Once the eggplant is prepped above, mix the ricotta cheese with one egg, the package of mozzarella cheese and the oregano. Keep on the side for your next step, layering in the baking dish with the eggplant.

Spray the inside of the baking dish with Olive oil pan spray (or canola). Spread 2/3 cup of tomato sauce evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. (You may need to use slightly less or more, depending on the thickness/consistency of your sauce). Add one layer of eggplant over the sauce.  Now add all of the ricotta cheese mixture, spreading evenly over all of the eggplant. Spread another 2/3 cup of tomato sauce over this.  Now place a 2^nd (and final) layer of eggplant evenly over the pan.  Top with another 2/3 cup of tomato sauce. Add and spread the grated cheese on top of the sauce. 

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for one hour. Rotate the pan carefully in the oven at 30 minutes (half way through the total cooking time), so it cooks evenly

Helpful Hint: 

• Place your eggplant baking dish on a larger baking dish, such as a cookie sheet with sides, to help prevent burning yourself from splash burns. The contents can become very bubbly and hot sauce can spill easily when moving the pan. I also  recommend you wear good quality oven mitts as a second level of precaution when handling this hot dish). 

Cool slightly and serve with extra tomato sauce and grated Parmesan or Romano cheese on the table; so guests can add extra sauce and cheese to their liking. If you plan on serving the eggplant with a small side of pasta, plan for a little extra tomato sauce. Add an Organic Romaine based salad on the side to complete this great Italian meal.