Baked Turkey Penne

Alright, so normally as a quick and easy dinner my family will throw pasta in a boiling pot, cook it until al dente, brown some lean meat in a pan on the stove, add some pasta sauce, put it all on a plate, top it with cheese and presto! dinner a la carte. While I found a recipe for "Baked Beef Ziti," I figured I could put my own spin on things and make "Baked Turkey Penne," mixing up the routine a little bit. 

I'm not quite sure if it was the large pan, the excess liquid, the fact I hate using spices, or that there wasn't enough cheese, but this recipe was awful (in my opinion, my mother somehow liked it and said she would eat it again, perhaps she was being nice). It has a pretty good basis, though, so it may just need some simple revisions in the future should I choose to make it again. But in the meantime, my verdict is that this turned out as what we in music might call a deceptive cadence... or "a chord progression that seems to lead to resolving itself on the final chord, but actually does not." You think it's going to turn out all wonderfully, but in the end, you are surprisingly deceived. You're not entirely disappointed with the outcome, but your expectations aren't exactly met.

BAKED TURKEY PENNE

Servings: 4

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 10+ for 1/4 dish, 7+ for 1/6 dish

                                                             

Ingredients:

• 6-8 oz Barilla Plus Penne
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Optional spices:
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp salt/pepper

* Ingredient Substitutions: lean ground beef for turkey, parmesan/cheddar cheese for mozzarella, whole wheat penne, etc. 

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350° F.

2.     Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

3.     While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat, adding garlic and sautéing. Add turkey and cook until browned, breaking up meat as it cooks.

4.     Add spices and stir to coat turkey. Cook until herbs become fragrant or until the meat is well blended. Add tomatoes and let cook a little more.

5.     Alternate layering turkey-tomato mixture with cooked pasta into a 2-quart casserole dish, topping each layer and the top of the dish with mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, for about 20-30 minutes. Divide into 4 pieces and serve.