Baked Turkey & Spinach Pasta

A rich and satisfying pasta bake featuring lean ground turkey, fresh spinach, and a creamy tomato sauce, all layered with gooey mozzarella and ricotta cheese.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 35 min
• Total: 55 min
• Servings: 6
• Cuisine: Italian-American
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $3.71/serving

Dietary

• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein

Tags

• bake
• comfort food
• savory
• rich
• crowd-pleaser

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 pound ground turkey (93/7 lean)
• 1 yellow onion (medium, diced)
• 4 clove garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 28 ounce crushed tomatoes (can)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounce penne pasta
• 5 ounce fresh spinach
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (part-skim)
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• 2 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. While pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
3. Add the diced yellow onion to the skillet with the turkey and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, dried oregano, dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
5. Stir in the fresh spinach into the sauce until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
6. In a large bowl, combine the cooked penne pasta with the turkey tomato sauce.
7. Spread half of the pasta mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Dollop with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese and sprinkle with half of the grated Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
8. Top with the remaining pasta mixture, then sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the casserole is heated through. If desired, broil for 2-3 minutes to get a golden-brown crust.
10. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Notes

Leftovers reheat beautifully in the microwave or oven. For a spicier kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 583
• Protein: 43.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 50.3 g
• Fat: 19.2 g
• Fiber: 5.2 g
• Sodium: 500 mg
• Saturated Fat: 9.3 g
• Sugar: 7.5 g
• Cholesterol: 120 mg