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    Home » Recipes » Dinner » Baked Rigatoni & Zucchini

    Baked Rigatoni & Zucchini

    Updated: Jul 21, 2023 by Veronica Noone · This post may contain affiliate links · 18 Comments

    baked rigatoni pin

    Not having enough leftover sauce for pasta night, I came up with this idea to make it stretch a bit. Mom taught me well! :~)

    The husband was happy, he loves anything with pasta and sauce (and he didn’t even complain about the whole wheat pasta). The toddler even picked out a few bites. Overall, it was a winner but I wished I had a bit more sauce to drizzle on top after baking. Next time I make it, it won’t be out of necessity. :~)

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz whole wheat rigatoni
    • 1 medium –large zucchini sliced thin
    • ¾ cup part skim ricotta cheese (~182 g)
    • 3oz mozzarella cheese (separated)
    • 1 egg white
    • 1 cup tomato sauce (like my Homemade Sauce) (separated)
    • Dried parsley
    • Black pepper
    • Non-stick cooking spray

    Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    Prepare the pasta according to package cooking 2-3 minutes less (about 6-8 minutes) as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.

    While the pasta is cooking, slice the zucchini. Spray a casserole dish with non stick cooking spray and place the zucchini on the bottom created a layer. Save some zucchini for the top.

    Mix the ricotta cheese, 1 oz of the mozzarella, egg white, and ½ cup of the sauce. Set aside.

    Once the pasta is done, turn off heat, drain and return to the pot. Add the ricotta mixture and stir until all the pasta is coated.

    Pour the pasta mixture unto the casserole dish and spread to create a layer over the zucchini. Top with the remaining zucchini, ½ cup of sauce and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with a bit of dried parsley and black pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

    (Note: this can me made ahead and baked when ready to serve but you may want to add more sauce as the pasta will continue to soak it up)

    📖 Recipe

    baked rigatoni featured

    Baked Rigatoni & Zucchini

    In need of a hearty and filling meal? Try this baked rigatoni and zucchini dish that's easy to make and packed with flavor. Yum!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 365 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 oz whole wheat rigatoni
    • 1 medium –large zucchini sliced thin
    • ¾ cup part skim ricotta cheese ~182 g
    • 3 oz mozzarella cheese separated
    • 1 egg white
    • 1 cup tomato sauce like my Homemade Sauce (separated)
    • Dried parsley
    • Black pepper
    • Non-stick cooking spray

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • Prepare the pasta according to package cooking 2-3 minutes less (about 6-8 minutes) as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
      8 oz whole wheat rigatoni
    • While the pasta is cooking, slice the zucchini. Spray a casserole dish with non stick cooking spray and place the zucchini on the bottom created a layer. Save some zucchini for the top.
      1 medium –large zucchini sliced thin, Non-stick cooking spray
    • Mix the ricotta cheese, 1 oz of the mozzarella, egg white, and ½ cup of the sauce. Set aside.
      ¾ cup part skim ricotta cheese, 3 oz mozzarella cheese, 1 egg white, 1 cup tomato sauce
    • Once the pasta is done, turn off heat, drain and return to the pot. Add the ricotta mixture and stir until all the pasta is coated.
    • Pour the pasta mixture unto the casserole dish and spread to create a layer over the zucchini. Top with the remaining zucchini, ½ cup of sauce and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with a bit of dried parsley and black pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
      Dried parsley, Black pepper

    Notes

    • this can me made ahead and baked when ready to serve but you may want to add more sauce as the pasta will continue to soak it up

    Nutrition

    Calories: 365kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 20gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 502mgPotassium: 524mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 684IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 262mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword Rigatoni, Zucchini
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    1. Liz W

      April 01, 2011 at 2:49 am

      i'm not a fan of ricotta, and usually mix about 8oz mozzarella with a pound of crumbled tofu. i've used it in manicotti and lasagna, and the bf loves it. i never tell people what the mix is till after they've eaten it, though.

      Reply
    2. roni

      December 03, 2009 at 9:06 pm

      Hi Lindsay! - I'm pretty sure my pan is 13x9

      Reply
    3. Lindsay Morrison

      December 03, 2009 at 2:10 pm

      Do you know which size casserole dish??

      Reply
    4. Lindsey

      February 07, 2009 at 5:23 am

      Hi Roni, I've just discovered your website and by god am I glad I did. This looks amazing! Exactly the type of food you want to eat when it's cold outside. I will definitely be making this tonight, thanks for posting.

      Reply
    5. Amy

      February 01, 2009 at 11:41 pm

      This was sooo good and i wasnt surprised ive made a a lot of your recipes and there all better than the next..thanks for doing what you do.you really help me alot..

      Reply
    6. aimee

      October 30, 2008 at 8:15 am

      This is the first recipe of yours that I tried and it was FABULOUS! I'm so excited to eat leftovers today for lunch! Thanks!!

      Reply
    7. Kim

      August 17, 2008 at 5:35 pm

      Just made this and love it! I made two, actually.. just as easy as one. I did add extra sauce to the top after baking. Delicious! Great meal to bring to a new mom with some salad and bread!

      Reply
    8. Lauren

      August 04, 2008 at 5:08 pm

      This was excellent! Had it for dinner tonight and even my fiance liked it! (Oh by the way, he doesn't like anything I make! LOL! He even said, "see now I do like something you make!")

      Reply
    9. Julie

      June 21, 2008 at 4:22 pm

      This is absolutely delicious! This will become a staple in my kitchen, and was so quick and easy for a single graduate student like myself to whip up! I could hardly wait to eat the leftovers the next few days!

      Reply
    10. Amy

      May 24, 2008 at 9:25 pm

      Just found your website yesterday! I was DESPERATE for some "healthy" recipes, LOW in points, so your website was just what the doctor ordered!

      I whipped this recipe up for dinner tonight. It was absolutely DELICIOUS! The only change I made was adding EXTRA LEAN ground beef to the casserole. So, I'm not sure how many extra points that added per serving. I'm estimating WITH ground beef it may have bumped it up to 9 or 10 points per serving. Any thoughts???

      I REALLY loved the added "crunch" with the sliced zucchini. And, even better ..... (drum roll, please) ..... this was my VERY FIRST TIME EVER trying WHOLE WHEAT pasta. I was a bit nervous that I would NOT like it. But ..... SURPRISE! I LOVED it!

      So, I give this recipe an A+++++++

      I look forward to making more of your YUMMY recipes. Thanks for all of your insight and knowledge! You are truly a LIFESAVER for someone like me!

      Reply
    11. Megan

      April 18, 2008 at 9:29 am

      I made this for dinner last night and my husband and I both enjoyed it! Thanks!

      Reply
    12. Cindy

      April 15, 2008 at 5:15 pm

      I made this pasta for dinner tonight and it was phenomenal! DH & I both loved it. I had enough ingredients for two so I made a double batch and put one in the freezer. So little work for two complete dinners and leftovers for lunch! Thanks again Roni!

      Reply
    13. Christina

      April 08, 2008 at 9:05 am

      I tried this out on Sunday and have been enjoying the leftovers since. Great recipe! Helps me get my cheese fix without going overboard. Thanks again, Roni!

      Reply
    14. Jen

      April 07, 2008 at 12:56 pm

      Roni - this was SO GOOD!!!!
      And it didn't leave that pit in your stomach that a full fat, loaded down baked ziti always does and it was way more satisfying! Thanks for a great recipe!

      Reply
    15. roni

      April 07, 2008 at 7:41 am

      Dry. I always weight my pasta dry. I actually have a post about that coming soon! LOL

      Reply
    16. Sabrina

      April 07, 2008 at 7:37 am

      When you say 8oz of pasta. Is it 8oz dry or 8oz cooked?

      Reply
    17. a. grace

      April 03, 2008 at 8:13 am

      that is one ooey, good-looking mound of deliciousness.

      here's a thought--people don't usually use the word "ooey" without following it with "gooey." it sounds weird, and i wonder why that is.

      Reply
    18. Christy

      April 03, 2008 at 1:00 am

      Oh yum! This looks great. I do something similar but my zucchini is chopped up a bit more. Sometime I like to julian (sp?) the zucchini.

      Reply

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