Cheesy Baked Pasta

For an easy meal (this is one you can do on a week night), I often will make a cheesy baked pasta. I vary ingredients every time, but the below is a pretty standard version. 

INGREDIENTS

1 pound of pasta (I used a whole wheat pasta that I bought in bulk at Whole Foods)

1 pound of ground turkey (or chicken or beef, whatever your preference)

2 tablespoons of diced basil

2 teaspoons of oregano

2 teaspoons of garlic salt

3 1/2 cups of marinara sauce (I used a vegetable marinara sauce—I did not make my own)

1 pound of fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1/2-inch cubes and half grated

3/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan, divided

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1.       Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2.       Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the pasta until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. Drain.

3.       While the water is boiling, brown the ground turkey. Add the basil, oregano and garlic salt to the sauteing meat.

4.       Toss the cooked pasta with the cooked meat, the marinara sauce, cubed mozzarella, and half the Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.

5.       Transfer the pasta to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (spray with cooking spray prior to this).

6.       Cover the top of the pasta with the grated mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

7.       Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 minutes. 

This is really good served with garlic bread.