Cheesy Turkey Baked Pasta

Yield: 4 generous servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes Cheesy Turkey Baked Pasta

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3/4 pound ground turkey (10% fat)
  • 4 cups cooked whole wheat pasta shells (see *Tips below)
  • 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce (bottled or homemade)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (divided)
  • 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-heat and add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until onions have softened, about 4 minutes. Crumble in the ground turkey and cook until the turkey is browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pasta, marinara sauce, parsley and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top and the Parmesan cheese too. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Tips:

I'm not always such a fan of whole wheat pasta, but I really like the Delallo Foods brand- we used their whole wheat shells for this recipe. Delallo is in select stores, but you can always find it at Whole Foods Market. 4 cups of cooked pasta equates to about 2 cups dried. Use a good cheese for this recipe- I used a very flavorful Monterey Jack. Sometimes Jack can be quite mild. You can also use Swiss, Provolone or Mozzarella (or a blend!)

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