Easy Eggplant Italian Sausage Skillet Baked Ziti
This easy eggplant and Italian sausage skillet baked ziti is a healthier, comforting pasta dinner loaded with vegetables, Italian sausage and ricotta that only takes one skillet a pot to boil noodles. Perfect for date night in or weeknight family dinners!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz whole wheat pene pasta, cooked al dente
- 1/2 lb turkey or chicken Italian sausage
- 1/2 eggplant, cubes (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- about 5 basil leaves, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Prepare penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, brown the Italian sausage in a large oven-safe skillet and cook through.
- Add eggplant, onion and garlic. continue cooking over medium heat and cook while stirring until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in cooked penne and pasta sauce.
- In a small bowl, stir together basil and ricotta.
- Drop ricotta by small spoonfuls onto the pasta and press down lightly into the pasta. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top.
- Bake about 25 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Remove from oven and serve.
Notes
- For gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free noodles.
- If you are not using homemade spaghetti sauce, look for sauce without any added sugar.
- This recipe is easily doubled. Just bake it in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- To make ahead, make the recipe up until the point of baking, then cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. You may need to extend the baking time by a few minutes.
Keywords: eggplant baked ziti, Italian sausage baked ziti, skillet baked ziti
Find it online: https://livelytable.com/eggplant-and-italian-sausage-baked-ziti/