Baked Zucchini Ziti for Postpartum

My clients, family and friends are always asking me what the BEST foods to prep for postpartum are, and this recipe for baked ziti always comes to mind!

So, I can’t take ALL the credit for this meal - in fact it’s something my mom grew up making for us regularly as an easy alternative to lasagna! She called it “pasta bake,” and we’d have it with a variety of different noodles - usually farfalle or penne. We usually had it with spinach, and recently I discovered it’s also a great vehicle for zucchini, too!

There’s a few reasons I love baked ziti for postpartum:

• Easy to make ahead and freeze, or transport to a new parent’s house

• Well rounded meal with carbs, protein, fat and fiber

• Makes plenty for seconds and leftovers, tastes good cold - postpartum hunger at all hours is so real!

• Delicious crowd pleaser

• High in iron, especially if you use a cast iron skillet in cooking the meat + veggies, and vitamin C from the tomato sauce helps with absorption

I recently posted this video on TikTok explaining how to make this delicious meal, and totally forgot to add spinach! Usually I would grab frozen spinach because it’s really cheap, and easy to squeeze out excess water so the noodles don’t get too soggy. You could probably try kale or mushrooms too. The family I was making the baked ziti for doesn’t eat beef, but we actually grew up eating it with ground turkey and I think it tastes pretty good! 93/94% lean ground turkey uses all parts of the bird, so you’re getting some great iron from the dark meat. To make it vegetarian, simply sub out the ground meat for frozen meatless crumbles, whatever brand you like! I’ve tried this out for a vegetarian friend after her baby, and she said it worked great.

Without further ado, here’s how you make Baked Zucchini Ziti!

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Baked Zucchini Ziti for Postpartum

Author: McKenzie Caldwell, MPH, RDN

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 25 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

An easy, delicious, and nutrient-packed baked ziti for postpartum parents and their family & friends alike.

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey or beef
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
• 1 32 oz jar red pasta sauce
• 1 1lb box penne, rigatoni or ziti pasta
• 1 8 oz package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan, romano or asiago cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large heavy bottomed skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Prepare a large pot of salted water over high heat to boil for the pasta.
2. Cook pasta according to directions on the box. Drain and set aside.
3. Lightly saute zucchini, onion and garlic for about 3 minutes in olive oil. Add ground meat, saute it until browned fully and no pink is left. Remove from heat.
4. In a 13x9 aluminum disposable pan (or reusable, your choice) begin layering ingredients starting with a few tablespoons of red sauce. This doesn’t have to be perfect! Just make sure to alternate ingredients so that you can end with mozzarella on top, and that you don’t run out of sauce. Also try to space out clumps of spinach and ricotta cheese. Top with shredded parmesan.
5. Bake uncovered in the oven for about 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly golden brown. To freeze, simply cover tightly without cooking and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to consume, there’s no need to thaw it out - simply put it directly in the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is golden brown.
6. Serve by itself, or with crusty bread and a side salad.