Flavorful ground meat and cheese tossed with tender pasta then baked with a crisp parmesan bread crumb topping!
When I was young, the dinner choices were, well, limited
In fact, if my wife and I sat and compared dinners growing up (I lived in New York City, she lived in Upstate New York), we would be very close. Recipes back then seem to be more simple
We thought with everything going on these days we could apply that principle to the food we have in the household and build a deliciously filling meal
With any luck (and a little restraint from our teenagers) we might even get a second dinner from it
For this recipe you will also need 1 pound of your favorite pasta cooked according to the package instructions (cooked, drained and set aside). We used mezzi rigatoni
We are starting off with 1 onion and three garlic cloves that we will peel and chop
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan over medium heat
Add in the onions and garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground back pepper
Cook 4-6 minutes until tender stirring occasionally
We were lucky enough to score a family pack of ground turkey (3 pounds)
You can use the ground meat you prefer or even a mix. If you choose to use ground beef, just drain off the fat once it’s been browned
Add the meat to the pan
Cook 6-8 minutes breaking the meat up as you go
Note: A potato masher makes this a lot easier with ground meat
Once the meat is browned we will need 1/2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce and 2 tablespoons of Gravy Master
We also have around 4 ounces of chopped baby kale
Add in the Worcestershire Sauce and Gravy Master to the meat
Add in the kale next
Mix to combine and simmer for 3-4 minutes to start wilting the kale and to allow the flavors to meld
Remove from the heat and preheat your oven to 350 F
Now we need some cheese
What cheese you choose is entirely up to you, we went on a refrigerator hunt and decided on 8 ounces of white cheddar, 4 ounces of yellow cheddar and 4 ounces of mozzarella for some stringy goodness
Add the cheese to the pan
Mix to combine
Since the meat is still warm it will help melt the cheese into a sauce
Add the meat mixture into the pot of cooked drained pasta and stir and combine
Pour out the mixture from the pot into a oil sprayed baking dish
Next we will need a crunchy topping just to add more flavor and some texture
In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
We will also need a sprinkle each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and parsley
We used dry parsley because we didn’t have any fresh
Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the pasta bake
Into the oven we go
Bake for 10-12 minutes and then broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the top
Remove from the over and allow to rest a few minutes before serving
We served this in bowls sprinkled with a little crushed red pepper!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Meaty Pasta Bake
Ingredients
3 pounds of ground turkey
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of olive oil
kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons of Gravy Master
4 ounces of chopped baby kale
16 ounces of shredded cheese (12 ounces of cheddar and 4 ounces of mozzarella)
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
kosher salt
Ground black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
parsley
1 pound of cooked and drained pasta (your choice)
Directions
Cook and drain 1 pound of your favorite pasta. Drain and set aside
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Peel and chop 1 onion and three garlic cloves. Add them to the pan and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Cook 4-6 minutes until tender stirring occasionally
Add 3 pounds of ground turkey meat to the pan. Cook 6-8 minutes breaking the meat up as you go. A potato masher makes this a lot easier with ground meat. Cooked until nicely browned
Next add in 1/2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce, 2 tablespoons of Gravy Master and 4 ounces of chopped baby kale. Mix to combine and simmer for 3-4 minutes to start wilting the kale and to allow the flavors to meld. Remove from the heat
Remove from the heat. Preheat your oven to 350 F. To the pan add 16 ounces of your favorite shredded cheese. We used 12 ounces of cheddar and 4 ounces of mozzarella. Mix to combine. The warm meat will help melt the cheese into a sauce
Dump the meat mixture into the pot of cooked and drained pasta. Give everybody a mix. Pour out the mixture from the pot into a oil sprayed baking dish. In a bowl combine 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and a sprinkle each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and parsley
Sprinkle these over the top of the pasta bake and place into the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes and then broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the top. Remove from the over and allow to rest a few minutes before serving
We served this in bowls sprinkled with a little crushed red pepper!
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
NuWave Flex Precision Induction Cooktop
Cooks Standard Multi-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Tagine and Extra Glass Lid, 4.5-Quart
ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch
KitchenAid Gourmet Stainless Steel Wire Masher, Black – KN008OHOBA
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