Pasta Bake 

Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients:
  • 1 lb whole wheat pasta of choice (penne or rotini work well)
  • 1 lb lean ground turkey or beef
  • ½ red pepper, diced
  • ½ green pepper, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 8oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1T olive oil
  • 1 6oz can tomato paste
  • 2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 2T Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1½ tsp seasoned salt or regular salt, more to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 T dried parsley or ¼ cup fresh
  • 1 cup parmesan (optional)
 
​Optional Breadcrumb Topping
  • ¾ Cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tb melted butter
  • 2 T nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  3. Brown ground turkey or beef in large pot. Set aside.
  4. Saute peppers, carrots, onion and mushrooms in olive oil.
  5. Add tomato paste through parsley and simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  6. Add ground turkey and stir to combine.
  7. Add prepared rotini and stir completely.
  8. If using, combine all breadcrumb topping ingredients.
  9. Place in baking dish, top with parmesan and/or bread crumb mixture, if desired, and bake for 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown.
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