I have had some health concerns recently, mainly trouble regulating my blood sugar(it's too low, then spikes, then drops way too low again) and migraines. So I have decided to eat small amounts of meat and change my diet. Whole grain foods are best for keeping and maintaining a steady blood sugar level.
I LOVE pasta and eat it a few times each week. My challenge was to make a dish using whole grain pasta. I generally don't like the texture of whole grain pasta, it's sort of chewy/gritty. But I thought I would give it another try and I came up with a pasta bake using whole grain pasta and ground turkey. I'm sure it's been done many times before, but the turkey(instead of beef) and the whole grain pasta(instead of white pasta) make this dish a little healthier.
Ingredients:
1/2 box whole grain noodles, I used small shells, but you can use any style you like
1/2 pound ground turkey
2 cups grated cheese, whichever kind you like
1 cup tomato sauce
Start Cooking:
1. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium pot, cook pasta until just underdone. It will finish cooking while baking and you don't want the pasta to get soggy.
2. While the pasta is cooking, grease a 8X8 or 9X9 baking dish with cooking spray. Put the ground turkey in the dish and break up with a fork or use your fingers. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
3. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and add to the baking dish. Pour sauce over the pasta and mix well. Then top with a little extra cheese.
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| Pasta bake, before baking |
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| Pasta bake, after baking |
Tips and Hints:
1. This dish freezes really well. Pop it in the freezer before baking. The night you want to cook it, just bake as normal(might take a little longer if still frozen when you put it in the oven).
Enjoy!
