Baked Penne with Fennel

This is a crowd-pleaser for pot lucks, they won't believe it's a low sodium meal! I've seen articles that fennel is being studied for its abilities to lower blood pressure, though I have yet to see valid, compelling proof. However, I think it's worth adding to the low-sodium diet just in case, right? It's also quick enough to whip up on weeknight (especially if you use a food processor or mini chopper to dice your fennel bulb).

Ingredients:
2 6oz cans no-salt-added tomato paste (I use Hunt's, which has 200mg total)
24 oz. water
1 box penne (0 mg sodium)
1/4 c. shredded mozzarella (I use Peapod store band, which has 135 mg total)
1 c. ricotta (I use Peapod store brand, which has 320 mg total)
1 bulb fennel, diced (122 mg, according to Siri)
2-3 garlic cloves, diced (0 mg)
1 T. Penzey's Tuscan Sunset spice mix (0 mg)
2 T. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (0 mg)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To Make:
Preheat oven to 350F. Cook pasta according to directions on package (be sure to choose the shortest cooking time listed for "al dente" pasta).

At the same time, make pasta sauce as follows:
Saute garlic, fennel and spices in olive oil for about 1 minute, then add tomato paste and water. Stir frequently and simmer til tomato paste reconstitutes (about 10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of sauce, then add ricotta and stir to mix throughout sauce.

Add cooled pasta to cheese/sauce mixture and stir to coat. Spread half of the reserved tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish. Spoon pasta into dish and spread out evenly. Pour remaining sauce over mixture, top with mozzarella. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, or til golden brown.

Serve with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Total sodium: 777 mg. Serves 4 (194 mg per serving). Your stats may differ based on your ingredients; be sure to read all labels carefully.