Gluten-free baked ziti:
Talk about the ultimate comfort food, this gluten-free baked ziti is sure to be a crowd pleaser. And even the pickiest of eaters will be reaching for seconds.
Tomato sauce:
Now I am all about making everything from scratch over here. But sometimes there isn’t enough time in the day for it. And so buying store bought tomato sauces is sometimes a must for me. And when it comes to store bought tomato sauces, I make sure they are sugar-free, gluten-free, don’t contain seed oils (corn, canola, cottonseed, soy, sunflower, safflower, rice bran, and grapeseed oils) and made with real ingredients.
Otamot tomato sauce:
And one of my favorite store bought tomato sauces is Otamot. Because they use real ingredients and basically exactly what I would use if I made my own from scratch. And they now carry it at Wholefoods, so next time you are there make sure to grab a jar or two! But if you don’t have a Wholefoods near by you can shop online and use code MHK for 15% off your purchase.
Ingredients you will need:
- 1 jar of Otamot tomato sauce of your choice (I used the limited edition Melissa’s essential sauce)
- Gluten-free penne pasta of your choice
- Onions
- Ghee or any type of oil you use
- Italian sausage links
- Mozzarella cheese
- Cilantro
- Spinach
- Chili flakes
- Salt and pepper
- Pasta water
How to prepare:
First prepare the sausage mixture by adding ghee to pan and warming. Add the diced onions with salt and pepper and sauté for a few minutes. And then add the jar of tomato sauce, spinach, cilantro, and cook a few minutes or until the spinach has wilted. And in a separate pot prepare the pasta according to package only deducting about 3 minutes less for al dente pasta.
Putting it all together:
Once the pasta is done, reserve one cup of the pasta water, and drain the rest. Add the sausage mixture to the drained pasta and mix. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish, top with cheese, and bake 350 F for 30 minutes. And once done if you want the cheese to be crispy broil for a couple minutes.
Meal prep ahead of time:
This dish makes for the perfect make ahead meal for those busy work nights. Simply prepare everything, cover, and store in the refrigerator. And the night you plan on enjoying simply bake and enjoy!
Gluten-free Baked Ziti:
Ingredients
- 1 jar Melissa’s Essential Otamot tomato sauce
- 1 package of gluten-free penne pasta of your choice
- 4 Italian sausage links
- 1/3 cup chopped onions
- 1 Tbsp ghee or any oil you use
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese of choice
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2-1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
Instructions:
- Add ghee to pan and warm
- Add onions with salt and pepper and sauté a few minutes
- Add sausage and cook through (5-6 minutes)
- Add the jar of pasta sauce along with spinach and cilantro and cook until spinach is wilted (2-3 minutes)
- In a separate pot bring water to boil with salt
- Cook pasta according to package (cook pasta al dente about 3 minutes less than what box says)
- Reserve one cup of the pasta water and drain the rest of the water
- Add the sausage mixture to the pot with the drained pasta, add a bit of the pasta water until the sauce is glossy (I did 1/2 cup)
- Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top
- Bake 350 F for 30 minutes and broil a couple minutes to get the cheese nice and crispy
This post is brought to you by Otamot but all words and recipes are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!