My husband automatically turns ground turkey into turkey burgers, but I like to mix it up. I have had this recipe (via iFoodReal) on my list for a while now, and I finally made it the other day. Just like any casserole: so easy to put together, and with the quantity made, you've got meals for days!
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
Directions
- 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.
As with any recipe using kale, I spent several minutes watching TV while I sifted through the bag to make sure I removed any of the thick, stalk-y parts that are simply inedible. Next was making the pasta; I tried Banza chickpea pasta from BJ's Wholesale Club just to be a little healthier. And I used one full jar of red pasta sauce, which isn't even 28 ounces. At least I remembered to save some pasta water before I poured it all down the sink! And I used maple syrup instead of honey, and a balsamic glaze (is that the same thing?)
I definitely made too much pasta, because it wouldn't all fit (and I was using my bigger pan!). But I was able to fit mostly everything and mix it all together before throwing it in the oven. In the end, this is an easy, convenient meal, both for the night-of and then for the rest of the week. But maybe the extra sauce would have been better, some more cheese would have helped (always more cheese!), and the chickpea pasta does kind of fall apart. I think I have made better tasting casseroles, but I might try this one another time.
Here are some other casseroles I have made previously:
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