Description
A delicious baked rigatoni dish with ground turkey, spinach, and a creamy cheese sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 0 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 0 cup low sodium chicken broth or reserved pasta water
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 0 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Cooking spray or a little extra olive oil for the baking dish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni until just shy of al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink.
- Season the turkey with kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes if using, and continue cooking until any excess moisture cooks off and the meat starts to brown lightly.
- Stir in the diced onion and cook until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Pour in the marinara sauce and the chicken broth or reserved pasta water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
- Fold the chopped spinach into the skillet and cook until it wilts into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the ricotta cheese and half of the grated Parmesan until the cheeses melt into the sauce and it becomes creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Add the cooked rigatoni to the skillet and gently toss until every piece of pasta is well coated in the creamy turkey sauce. If the mixture looks dry, add a spoonful more broth or pasta water.
- Lightly grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or a little olive oil. Transfer the pasta and sauce mixture to the dish and spread it into an even layer.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top, followed by the remaining Parmesan. Reserve the last 0 cup mozzarella if you like an extra cheesy top and sprinkle it over as well.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, lightly golden, and the edges of the pasta bake are bubbling.
- Let the pasta bake rest for about 5 minutes after removing it from the oven, then garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Slice or scoop into portions and serve warm.
Notes
- For a spicier version, you can add more crushed red pepper flakes.
- Make sure to stir the pasta well to coat it thoroughly with the sauce.
- This dish can be prepared ahead of time and baked just before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 90mg