Recipe: Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato Pasta

For a fun, quick and easy pasta dinner, try this Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato Pasta. If your [...]

For a fun, quick and easy pasta dinner, try this Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato Pasta. If your skillet is oven-safe, you'll use one dish the entire time and wind up with a creamy, warm, cheesy, delicious and healthy pasta meal. We used skinny swaps like evaporated milk for heavy cream in order to achieve the full fat flavor and texture (rather than using fat-free milk) so it's just as creamy as pasta dishes should be. Pair this skinny pasta dish with a green salad or veggie for a balanced meal, or even add your favorite protein like cooked chicken or Italian sausage.

Skinny Mom Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato PastaSkinny Mom Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato Pasta ingredientsSkinny Mom Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato PastaSkinny Mom Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato Pasta recipeSkinny Mom Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato Pasta recipeSkinny Mom Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato Pasta recipe

Pro tip: Not a fan of the broiler? No worries. It's handy for instances like this when you want the cheese to melt pretty fast, but that means it can burn all your hard work pretty fast, too. Instead of using the broiler, you can bake the skillet for 10-15 minutes at 350º F and the cheese will be just as ooey gooey and delicious.

Skinny Mom Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato Pasta recipe

Recipe: Skillet Baked Creamy Tomato Pasta

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: 1⅓ cup

Ingredients:
½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
10 ounces whole wheat penne noodles, dry
½ cup 2% evaporated milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup reduced-fat mozzarella shredded cheese

Instructions:
Preheat the broiler to low.

Heat a large skillet (preferably straight-sided skillet) over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and red chili flakes and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes, water, and penne noodles and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the penne is soft. Stir frequently so the penne does not stick to the bottom.

Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the evaporated milk, fresh basil, oregano, onion powder, and salt, and stir together.

At this point, if the skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. If the skillet is oven-safe, proceed from here.

Top the creamy tomato pasta with the mozzarella cheese and broil for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese.

Nutrition:
Per Serving: (1⅓ cup)
Calories: 255
Calories from fat: 37
Fat: 4g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Sodium: 524mg
Carbohydrates: 48g
Fiber: 8g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 13g
SmartPoints: 6

The nutrition content of recipes on SkinnyMom.com has been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.

0comments