Somewhere along the line, I fell victim to believing that pasta was a food placed on earth by satan to make us all fat. Thank God I saved myself from that miserable life. I think spending a week in Italy certainly helped…
While I’m a firm believer in “everything in moderation,” I think it’s great healthier pasta options now exist too. I’ve shared before how much I love Banza pasta, and it’s still a favorite go-to of mine.
Banza is made out of chickpeas (yes, chickpeas!). It definitely has a bit of a different flavor and texture than regular pasta, but I personally love it. It’s hearty and almost has a bit of a nutty flavor. It’s also gluten free, and PACKED with protein and fiber….we’re talking double digits…which lends to the “skinny” aspect of this recipe.
Anyway, onto the part where we smother it in cheese 😉
Skinny Pizza Pasta Bake
Ingredients:
- 1 box Banza chickpea pasta
- 1 cup marinara/tomato sauce (I used Rao’s)
- 1/2 cup skim ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups spinach
- seasonings of choice! I used dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 7-8 minutes
- Drain the pasta and put back in the pot. Then add the sauce, ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, spinach and spices
- Combine everything well then transfer to a greased casserole dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese
- Bake for 25-30 minutes
For my fellow single ladies – this is a great recipe to make for yourself to last a couple of meals throughout the week. It would also be easy to throw some extra protein in there like chicken, ground beef, or pizza-fy it even more with pepperoni!
As always if you make any of my recipes I’d love to know what you think! Shoot me an email or tag me @hungry.blonde 🙂
