In my quest to make healthier dishes for my wife, I made this baked Turkey and Ziti Casserole from Weight Watchers.
As far as ingredients go this recipe is pretty simple. No special ingredients are needed to make this Weight Watchers recipe.
I often like to provide ingredient substitutions for many of my recipes but since this is a Weight Watchers recipe I wanted to stay as true as possible to the original recipe they published many years ago in one of their books.
That being said, they listed a bake time of over 40 minutes to melt the mozzarella cheese in the oven at 375°F. Personally I think that is a little high so I took mine out of the oven sooner than that. You will need to watch this closely.
Weight Watchers Disclaimer
I have personally never subscribed to Weight Watchers but have several family members that have over the years. This recipe comes from one of their old recipe books. I’m including the “points” listed in the book for convenience but if this is important to you, please confirm directly with Weight Watchers.
Weight Watchers Points for this recipe: 7 points per serving
What is Al Dente
When making pasta, it’s important to cook the pasta al dente to ensure to best texture possible. If you are not familiar with the term “al dente”, it means cooking the pasta so it’s still chewy and firm and that it will hold its shape when the sauce is added to it.
I love making dishes with ziti and my Baked Ziti with Tomatoes recipe is absolutely delish!
Serving Suggestions
What does better with a great pasta dish than some Cheesy Garlic Bread. This is the best garlic bread you will ever have!
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Turkey and Ziti Casserole recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Ziti
- Canola Oil – you can also use vegetable oil
- Lean Ground Turkey – I like to use 93/7 from Jennie-O
- Yellow Onion – sweet onion or white onions are good substitutes
- Green Bell Pepper – or you can use any mild green pepper you prefer
- Salt – a must for most recipes
- Ground Black Pepper – Freshly Ground as much as possible
- Marinara Sauce – use your favorite brand
- Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
- Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese
How to Make Turkey and Ziti Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a saucepan, cook the ziti al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil then add the ground turkey, onion, bell pepper, salt, and ground pepper.
- Cook, stirring often, until the turkey is browned, about 10 minutes.
- Fold in the ziti, marinara sauce, and ricotta. Spoon the mixture into a large nonstick baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake, uncovered until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted about 35-40 minutes.
Printable Recipe Card
Weight Watchers Turkey and Ziti Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 lb Ziti
- 2 Tsp Canola Oil
- 1 lb Lean Ground Turkey
- 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ¼ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 24 oz Marinara Sauce
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 cup Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a saucepan, cook the ziti al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil then add the ground turkey, onion, bell pepper, salt, and ground pepper.
- Cook, stirring often, until the turkey is browned, about 10 minutes.
- Fold in the ziti, marinara sauce, and ricotta. Spoon the mixture into a large nonstick baking dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted about 35-40 minutes.
Notes
This turkey and Zite casserole is the best I have ever tasted. So flavourful and delicious. A keeper for sure!