Special Delivery

This is the baked pasta dish I brought to a family from our church tonight (with some lemon poppyseed muffins and coleslaw). I decided to go with this old standby that I have my eighth graders prepare. I found this recipe last year and changed it from beef to turkey and I use whole grain pasta. The kids couldn't tell it wasn't beef when they inhaled the meal and they learned how much leaner the simple change made it! It's basically a "light" mosticolli type dish.

Baked Turkey Penne

8 oz uncooked whole grain penne pasta
1 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions without added fat or salt; drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and return pan to heat.
4. Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat turkey. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Spoon a small amount of tomato mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish (just enough to cover the surface). Top with half of the cooked penne and then layer with half of the remaining tomato sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese. Layer remaining penne on top and top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.