Lightened Up Pizza Pasta Bake

 This Lightened Up Pizza Pasta Bake has all the pizza flavors you love- with pasta!!  This is a meal the whole family will love!

Ingredients

• 12 oz. uncooked, Fiber Gourmet light rotini or Barilla Plus Rotini or Penne or whole grain rotini or penne pasta – I like to use Fiber Gourmet light rotini 
• 1 lb Isernio’s Italian chicken sausage or Jennie-O Italian Turkey sausage – I use Isernio’s chicken sausage 
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/3 cup or 1 oz. Hormel mini pepperoni or 15 slices turkey pepperoni, diced 
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3 cups zero point marinara sauce
• 1 cup reduced fat or fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded – I use Pantry Market low moisture part skim mozzarella from Target 
• 2 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped-optional
• 2 Tbsp diced black olives, optional  
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch or 3- quart baking dish with non stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and until it’s very al dente. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, in a skillet add the chicken or turkey sausage and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up into pieces using a spatula, until browned.
4. Stir in the onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.
5. Add 2 cups of the zero point marinara sauce to the turkey sausage mix and stir until combined. Remove from heat. 
6. Combine cooked pasta and turkey sausage mixture into a large bowl. Stir to combine. Fold in 1/2 cup of the cheese. 
7. Pour pasta mix into prepared baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce in an even layer over the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
8. Top mini pepperonis or turkey pepperoni, olives, and fresh parsley, if desired. 
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and the cheese is bubbling. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Smartpoints: GREEN/BLUE:

5 Smartpoints per serivng if using Fiber Gourmet pasta and Isernio’s Italian chicken sausage with mini pepperoni or turkey pepperoni
6 smartpoints if using Fiber Gourmet pasta, Isernio’s Italian chicken sausage with turkey pepperoni
7 Smartpoints per serving if Fiber Gourmet pasta, Isernio’s Italian chicken sausage with mini pepperoni
8 smartpoints per serving if using Fiber Gourmet pasta, Jennie-o turkey sausage with mini pepperoni or turkey pepperoni 
7 Smartpoints per serving if using Barilla Plus Penne, mini pepperoni, and Isernio’s chicken sausage.
6 smartpoints if using Barilla Plus Penne, Isernio’s Italian chicken sausage and turkey pepperoni
8 smartpoints per serving if using Barilla Plus Penne, Jennie-o turkey sausage with mini pepperoni or turkey pepperoni 

PURPLE:

4 smartpoints per serving with whole grain pasta and turkey pepperoni 
5 smartpoints per serving if using whole grain pasta and mini pepperoni