Zucchini, tomatoes, and red onion are sauteed and tossed with penne pasta and Italian dressing and topped with melted mozzarella cheese…it’s a simple week night vegetarian meal that is fresh and satisfying!

WW friendly light Italian salad dressing.

You can use any light Italian dressing for this recipe. The one I chose to use was the Olive Garden light Italian dressing. With one tablespoon of the Olive Garden light Italian dressing being just 15 calories, this dressing is a low-calorie, low Smart Point option that tastes great.

WW Friendly Penne Pasta.

I used Barilla Protein Plus Pasta in this recipe, mostly because I already had some on hand from when I made the Chicken and Spinach Pasta Alfredo a couple of weeks ago.

As far as Smart Points go, you can use “normal” penne pasta, and it will still be 6 WW FreeStyle SP per serving.

Veggies.

If you would like to bulk up this recipe, you can increase the veggies. Just add some extra zucchini, red onions, and/or tomatoes. Another option that would bulk things up and add some extra nutrients would be to add some salad greens, such as spinach, arugula, or romaine. You could even swap out the zucchini for the salad greens.

Okay, that’s all. Let’s get to this recipe…

Here is what you need:

4 ounces Protein Plus penne pasta
Water for cooking the penne pasta
Cooking spray
1 zucchini, halved and sliced (approximately 2 cups)
1 small red onion, chopped (approximately 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
3 tablespoons Olive Garden light Italian dressing
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Here is what you do:

Cook penne pasta according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray and set over medium heat, sauté the zucchini and red onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté 4-5 minutes, or until onions are tender, mixing half-way through.

Add garlic and tomatoes and cook 1 minute longer. Mix in Italian dressing and Parmesan cheese, along with the cooked and drained pasta.

Top with the mozzarella cheese, cover, and simmer 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Makes 4 servings.
One serving is 1 cup.
One serving is 6 Green, 6 Blue, and 6 Purple points.

Print Recipe

Italian Penne with Veggies

6 Green, 6 Blue, and 6 Purple points per serving.

Makes: 4 servings

Calories: 215

Author: Alisha Hughes

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Protein Plus penne pasta
• Water for cooking the penne pasta
• Cooking spray
• 1 zucchini, halved and sliced (approximately 2 cups)
• 1 small red onion, chopped (approximately 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 3 tablespoons Olive Garden light Italian dressing
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Cook penne pasta according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray and set over medium heat, sauté the zucchini and red onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté 4-5 minutes, or until onions are tender, mixing half-way through.
• Add garlic and tomatoes and cook 1 minute longer.
• Mix in Italian dressing and Parmesan cheese, along with the cooked and drained pasta.
• Top with the mozzarella cheese, cover, and simmer 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.