Rutabaga Baked Ziti with Mushrooms and Kale
A spiralized vegetable twist on baked ziti made with hearty rutabaga noodles, mushrooms, kale, a simple tomato sauce, and ricotta and mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 5 cups curly kale leaves chopped
- 4 cups sliced cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium rutabaga peeled, spiralized into noodles, and trimmed with scissors
- 1 (14½-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped or dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 1 cup whole fat ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Coat a medium baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the oven is translucent. Add the kale and mushrooms, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for 5 minutes or until the kale is wilted. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.
- Add the trimmed rutabaga noodles to the same pan and cook for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften (if needed, add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan to help speed up this process). Return the kale mixture to the pan and toss thoroughly to combine. Stir in the tomatoes, rosemary, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Add the mixed cheeses to the pot with the rutabaga and toss to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more or until the rutabaga is al dente and the cheese is golden brown. Serve immediately.
Tips for Success:
- This dish is extremely hearty and filling as is. If you’re a meat lover, Ali suggests adding crumbled sausage or ground turkey (this should be cooked separately and added before transferring the mixture to the baking dish) to bulk this dish with extra flavor and protein.
- Feel free to substitute rutabaga with sweet potato (1 large or 2 medium peeled sweet potatoes will be equivalent in size)!
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 294kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 520mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 8g