Pasta has to be one of my favorite foods – carbs covered in sauce with some delicious meats and veggies in there plus a mound of cheese on top! *insert drool face here* Honestly, what’s better than a flavorful pasta dish? How about a pasta dish that is dairy free and gluten free – leaving you with zero tummy troubles?! I’d wholeheartedly consider pasta a comfort food, but the after effects of sugar, dairy, and gluten are anything but comforting. With this delicious, creamy, warm baked ziti recipe I can have my cake (noodles) and eat it, too, and so can you! Okay enough with the rhyming, let’s get to the recipe.
Baked Ziti with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb of gluten free penne pasta
- 1 lb of chopped smoked sausage
- 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms
- 1/2 cup of diced yellow onion
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 28 oz of crushed tomatoes, no salt added
- 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp of salt, divided
- 3 tsp of dried basil, divided
- 3 tsp of dried oregano, divided
- 2 tsp of dried parsley
- 2/3 cup of avocado oil mayo
- 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook your pasta for one minute less than the minimum time on the box.
- While your pasta is cooking, sautee your mushrooms, onions, and garlic in olive oil
- Once pasta has cooked, drain excess water and return to pot
- In the same pot, add sausage, cooked mushroom/onion mixture, crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp each of basil, oregano, and parsley. Stir to combine.
- Place pasta mixture in a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine mayo, nutrtional yeast, coconut milk, and remaining seasonings. Stir until smooth and creamy.
- Pour cheese sauce on top of pasta mixture.
- Bake 12-15 minutes until warmed through and bubbling.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge.
That’s all! A comforting pasta dish without all the discomfort later. You can order avocado mayo here, coconut milk here, and nutritional yeast here – I know those are sometimes tricky to find in your local supermarket.
For more comfort foods, be sure to check out my Zoodles with Meat Sauce, BBQ Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Potatoes, Oven Baked Fries, Microwave Molten Lava Cake, and of course, Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I hope you can find some healthier comfort foods you and your family love! Feed your family healthy, tasty food…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!
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