Ground Turkey Pasta Bake
Ground Turkey Pasta Bake is a family friendly casserole made with ground turkey, pasta, kale, and a light sprinkling of bubbly melty cheese.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 348kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey extra lean
- 3 cups whole wheat penne or fusilli pasta uncooked (10 ounces)
- 4 - 5 cups kale stems removed & chopped
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 28 ounces tomato sauce low sodium
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup pasta water
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded & divided (6 ounces)
- 1/3 cup Italian parsley chopped
- Cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente as per package instructions, undercooking by 4 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In the meanwhile, preheat large skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oregano, rosemary, basil, pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring a few times. Add ground turkey and cook for another 5-7 minutes, breaking meat into pieces and stirring occasionally.
- Add tomato sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar and pasta water. Stir, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Add kale and stir to combine.
- Now add cooked pasta and stir to combine more.
- Transfer half of the mixture in previously prepared baking dish and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Add remaining pasta meat mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, let stand for 10 minutes, garnish with parsley and serve hot. With a glass of red wine. OMG, so good!
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in microwave.
- Make ahead: If you don't want to freeze, assemble and refrigerate casserole for up to 24 hours. Don't forget to cover with plastic wrap and then bake as per recipe.
- Freeze leftovers: Bake, cool and transfer to plastic or glass airtight containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freeze unbaked: Assemble the casserole, wrap tightly with plastic and aluminum foil on top. When ready to eat, warm up on a counter for 30 minutes to prevent dish from shattering in the oven. Bake from frozen increasing baking time by 15 - 20 minutes.
- More protein: You can use 2 pounds of ground turkey to up the protein. Also ground chicken works or ground beef.
- Greens: Spinach can be substituted for kale.
- Pasta: White, whole wheat or gluten free pasta works. You want pasta to be short and with crevices to scoop up the sauce.
- Sodium content: Reduce sodium if using regular and not low sodium tomato sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 489mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g