Weekly meal plans at our house most always include a pasta night! One of our favorite recipes is this Light and Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake. This vegetarian pasta dish is satisfying enough for meat-eaters too and is a great option for meatless Mondays. Whole wheat or high protein penne noodles are cooked until al dente. Then, they are tossed with a homemade creamy tomato sauce. Finally, I top with lots of low-fat mozzarella cheese or you can use your favorite mozzarella cheese, which covers the noodles in cheese-baked deliciousness. Your family will love how quick and simple my Light and Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake is!
Recipes Similar to Light and Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake:
Chicken Alfredo Casserole with Bacon
Healthy Lobster Mac and Cheese Recipe
Lightened Up Chili Mac Casserole Recipe
How Healthy Is This Dish?
I am all about making family-friendly dishes that are full of healthy ingredients. Healthy ingredients boost your kids’ wellness, such as lycopene in tomatoes promoting antioxidants and skin health. Whole wheat penne noodles or high protein noodles are used in comparison to regular noodles. Whole wheat or high protein noodles add fiber, iron, and protein all while keeping the family fuller for longer from the less-processed wheat grains. All dairy used in this recipe is of the low-fat varieties, keeping the fat and calories low in this dish but you can use whatever dairy products that you like best.
There are plenty of ways to make pasta a nutritious dinner for the whole family. If you love pasta, try my Supreme Pizza Pasta Casserole!
Ingredients in Light and Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic
- red chili flakes
- no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- water
- whole wheat penne noodles
- evaporated milk
- fresh basil
- dried oregano
- onion powder
- salt
- reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
How to Make Light and Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake
Preheat the broiler to low.
Heat a large skillet (preferably straight-sided skillet) over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and red chili flakes and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, water, and penne noodles and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the penne is soft. Stir frequently so the penne does not stick to the bottom.
Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the evaporated milk, fresh basil, oregano, onion powder, and salt, and stir together.
At this point, if the skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. If the skillet is oven-safe, proceed from here.
Top the creamy tomato pasta with the mozzarella cheese and broil for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese.
Light and Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 28-oz. can no-salt-added tomatoes
- 3 cups water
- 10 oz. whole wheat penne noodles, dry
- 1/2 cup 2% evaporated milk
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler to low.
- Heat a large skillet (preferably straight-sided skillet) over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and red chili flakes and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, water, and penne noodles and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the penne is soft. Stir frequently so the penne does not stick to the bottom.
- Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the evaporated milk, fresh basil, oregano, onion powder, and salt, and stir together.
- At this point, if the skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. If the skillet is oven-safe, proceed from here.
- Top the creamy tomato pasta with the mozzarella cheese and broil for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
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