Monday, October 29, 2012

Turkey and Pasta Bake


Autumn is here, and with a vengeance, I might add. Cold and blustery is the only way to describe the weather. Tonight, I was in the mood for something rich, sinful and indulgent. Now, you might be thinking it was something heavy and either starch or dairy-based. You'd be highly incorrect. This dish is mostly protein-based with lighter starch and even lighter dairy based accents. Lean ground turkey and turkey bacon combine with some simple savory ingredients to create a delicious, wholesome meal. The downside is that it takes a little longer to make, since there's about an hour of simmering time in order to render down the vegetables, but it spends only about 20 - 30 minutes in the oven. Once it's ready, however, be prepared to dig in and wholly prepare to have NO leftovers. Serve this with tiny dinner rolls (I found some delicious rye dinner rolls at the grocery store today), and a good red wine. Plus, since it's nearly Halloween, why not eat in front of the TV and enjoy a good scary movie?

Turkey and Pasta Bake

10 oz. lean ground turkey
5 oz. smoked turkey bacon, chopped
1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 tbsp. no salt added tomato paste
12 oz. fat free, reduced sodium chicken stock
8 oz. rigatoni or penne pasta (I used low-carb pasta)
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Brown the turkey in a nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Make sure there are no large chunks of turkey (think the consistency of sloppy joes). Add the chopped turkey bacon, garlic, onion, carrots, paste, stock and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour, until the vegetables are tender.

While the meat mixture is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the package directions, until al dente; you may want to undercook the pasta by a minute or two, because it's going to finish cooking while it's in the oven. Drain the pasta thoroughly and mix with the turkey sauce.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, until it's lightly browned on top.

Serve immediately with sides of your choice.

Serves 4

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