Monday, March 18, 2024
HomeHealthyHealthy Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

Healthy Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

This is my take on Giada’s classic baked rigatoni with bechamel sauce recipe. I added a twist on it to make it more healthy and rich in fiber.

We love baked pasta with bechamel sauce, it’s one of our family’s favorite and one that I often made before. I thought of tweaking this old favorite to suit our “healthy appetite”. I used extra-vigin olive oil instead of butter, I figure since the recipe requires melted/liquid butter anyway, why not used a healthier alternative like olive oil. I replaced all-purpose flour with wholewheat flour and used high fiber rigatoni and added tuna instead of bacon or ham and used low-fat milk.

The result: Yummy, not as creamy and loaded with sauce but that’s exactly what I am after with this dish. I may never go back to my old favorite recipe from Giada, uhm, well maybe with the exception of adding ham/prociutto, there will be lots of those during Christmas season, it’s shame to make it go to waste.

Why don’t you TRY this HEALTHIER version too, 🙂

HERE’s how to make my healthy high-fiber, low-(er-in) fat take on baked rigatoni with bechamel sauce

high_fiber_rigatoni_pasta_1 I’m using this high-fiber pasta

olive_oil_and_whole_wheat_flour_roux

first make a roux with olive oil and wholewheat pastry flour

olive_oil_roux
cook for at least 2 minutes…keep stirring so the flour won’t burn

olive_oil_whole_wheat_flour_bechamel

add low-fat milk, cook until it’s thick enough;  you know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon

high_fiber_baked_rigatoni_bechamel_with_tuna

add tuna and cheese

healthy_high_fiber_baked_rigatoni_bechamel_2

sprinkle grated parmesan on top before baking

healthy_high_fiber_baked_rigatoni_bechamel_1

out of the oven..cool before serving..yum!

BAKED RIGATONI, MY WAY
high-fiber, lower-in- fat and good for you 🙂

Ingredients:

serves 4-5

2 1/2 cups high fiber rigatoni (or penne, ziti)
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon wholewheat flour
2 cups low-fat milk
nutmeg (optional)
sea salt or coarse salt and pepper to tast
1/3 cup cheese, I used processed cheddar, use any cheese you like
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (not Reggiano, way too expensive for everyday pasta meal, but if you have one, it’s better)
a can (180 g) of hot and spicy tuna; drained

Directions:

First, in a large pot, bring to a boil 2 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

While that is cooking..

Make the Bechamel Sauce: Heat two tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, add in the wholewheat pastry flour. Cook for 2 minutes.

Gradually add the milk while stirring contantly to avoid any lumps; season. Cook until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and add a dash of nutmeg,if using, 1/2 cup cheese, tuna and season with salt and black pepper or white if you don’t want to see specks of black on your pasta but it won’t matter anyway since it’s not really a white sauce anymore because of the whole wheat flour.

Add cooked pasta to the bechamel sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce. Pour into greased (lightly spray with canola/ olive oil cooking spray) 8×8 baking dish and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is lightly golden/browned. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Olive

Healthy Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

Olive
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Ingredients
  

  • SERVES 4-5
  • 2 1/2 CUPS HIGH FIBER RIGATONI OR PENNE, ZITI
  • 2 TABLESPOON EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
  • 2 TABLESPOON WHOLEWHEAT FLOUR
  • 2 CUPS LOW-FAT MILK
  • NUTMEG OPTIONAL
  • SEA SALT OR COARSE SALT AND PEPPER TO TAST
  • 1/3 CUP CHEESE I USED PROCESSED CHEDDAR, USE ANY CHEESE YOU LIKE
  • 1/4 CUP GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE NOT REGGIANO, WAY TOO EXPENSIVE FOR EVERYDAY PASTA MEAL, BUT IF YOU HAVE ONE, IT’S BETTER
  • A CAN 180 G OF HOT AND SPICY TUNA; DRAINED

Instructions
 

  • FIRST, IN A LARGE POT, BRING TO A BOIL 2 QUARTS OF SALTED WATER. ADD THE RIGATONI AND COOK FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. SINCE YOU WILL BE COOKING THE PASTA A SECOND TIME IN THE OVEN, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE INSIDE IS STILL HARD. DRAIN IN A COLANDER.
  • WHILE THAT IS COOKING..
  • MAKE THE BECHAMEL SAUCE: HEAT TWO TABLESPOON EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, ADD IN THE WHOLEWHEAT PASTRY FLOUR. COOK FOR 2 MINUTES.
  • GRADUALLY ADD THE MILK WHILE STIRRING CONTANTLY TO AVOID ANY LUMPS; SEASON. COOK UNTIL IT’S THICK ENOUGH TO COAT THE BACK OF A SPOON. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND ADD A DASH OF NUTMEG,IF USING, 1/2 CUP CHEESE, TUNA AND SEASON WITH SALT AND BLACK PEPPER OR WHITE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE SPECKS OF BLACK ON YOUR PASTA BUT IT WON’T MATTER ANYWAY SINCE IT’S NOT REALLY A WHITE SAUCE ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR.
  • ADD COOKED PASTA TO THE BECHAMEL SAUCE. USING A WOODEN SPOON, MIX WELL UNTIL ALL THE PASTA IS COATED WITH THE SAUCE. POUR INTO GREASED (LIGHTLY SPRAY WITH CANOLA/ OLIVE OIL COOKING SPRAY) 8×8 BAKING DISH AND SPRINKLE GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE ON TOP.
  • BAKE IN THE OVEN FOR 25 MINUTES OR UNTIL BUBBLING AND THE TOP IS LIGHTLY GOLDEN/BROWNED. COOL FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

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