Slow Cooker Sunday: Skinny Zucchini Ziti

Today’s slow cooker recipe was found at wonderful site called Skinny Crock Pot.     I thought this recipe looked yummy and the word “skinny” was what sealed the deal! 🙂

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours

1 7.8 ounce jar of marinara sauce
3 cups penne shells
2 cups fat-free cottage cheese
2 cups skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 large zucchini (1/4 slices)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh basil (finely chopped)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1) In a large mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, mozzarella, oregano, basil, and black pepper. In the slow cooker, spoon 1/4 of the marinara on top of the bottom. Add 1 cup penne shells, 1/3 zucchini slices and 1 cup cheese mixture. Repeat until you have 3 layers. Top off with remaining marinara and lastly, cheese.

2) Note: Keep penne shells and cheese away from the edges by about 1″. Pasta tends to get hard and cheese burns if allowed to touch the sides while cooking.

3) Cover and cook on low for approximately 2 hours or until pasta is Al Dente (firm but not hard). Enjoy!