Ground Turkey Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey extra lean

• 3 cups (10 oz) chickpea shell noodles (or your preference!)

• 4 – 5 cups spinach or kale, stems removed & chopped

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 4 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin

• 1 tbsp oregano dried

• 1 tsp rosemary dried

• 1 tsp basil dried

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1/2 tsp salt

• Ground black pepper to taste

• 28 oz tomato sauce, low sodium

• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 cup pasta water

• 2 cups (6oz) mozzarella cheese, shredded & divided

• 1/3 cup Italian parsley chopped

Instructions:

Note: I always double or triple recipes for meal prep. I tripled this one, but I only tripled the ground turkey and pasta noodles while everything else was doubled. I thought that turned out great. And then, I used a larger pan- one of the disposable aluminum ones for easy clean-up. (see bottom picture) Adjust portions to your liking!

1. Cook pasta al dente per package instructions, undercooking by about 3-4 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray the 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. (Or larger pan of doubling or tripling)

3. Preheat a large skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and garlic, and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oregano, rosemary, basil, a 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. Cook until there is no longer any pink.

4. Add tomato sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar, and pasta water. Stir, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add spinach or kale and stir to combine.

5. Now add cooked pasta and stir to combine more.

6. Transfer half of the mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Add remaining pasta meat mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven, let stand for 10 minutes, garnish with parsley and serve hot. I recommend topping with more red pepper chili flakes if you prefer a little spicier!