Oh yum! Your whole family will love this Saucy Baked Pumpkin Pasta. Is there anything better than a pasta bake when the weather starts to cool down and you are looking for the ultimate comfort food? This healthy pasta bake will tick a lot of your boxes!
Start by making the pasta bake sauce. As the sauce simmers, cook the pasta. Make the cheese topping by mixing ricotta and mozzarella cheese. Mix pasta with the cheese sauce and some of the meat sauce. Add half of the pasta to a prepared dish and top with half of the remaining meat sauce and sprinkle half of the mozzarella pieces on top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and bake in the oven until golden and bubbly.
To make Saucy Baked Pumpkin Pasta, you will need the following ingredients:
Heat ½ a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 3 minced cloves of garlic and 1 diced onion, 1 diced red bell pepper and 2 cups of sliced mushrooms to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften and the mushrooms cook down.
Add 1 pound of ground turkey and cook while breaking up with a wooden spoon. When the turkey is no longer pink, add 1 tablespoon of italian seasoning, ½ a teaspoon of paprika, ½ a teaspoon of red pepper flakes a pinch of nutmeg, ½ a teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Stir the mixture for about 30 seconds until the seasonings are incorporated into the meat.
Pour in a jar of pasta sauce and 1 cup of pumpkin puree. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 8 ounces of pasta and cook according to package directions until just al-dente. Drain and rinse with cool water to prevent it from cooking further.
As the pasta cooks, preheat the oven to 375 °F. Lightly grease an 8x8 or 7x9-inch casserole dish with olive oil. Set aside.
Combine 1 cup of ricotta with 3 ounces of mozzarella pieces in a large bowl. Mix in ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese cheese until just combined.
Stir the cooked pasta and 2 cups of the meat sauce into the cheese mixture. Season with a little salt and pepper and stir well to combine.
Transfer half of the pasta mixture to the casserole dish. Top the pasta with half of remaining meat sauce and sprinkle half of the remaining mozzarella pieces on top. Repeat with the remaining pasta, meat sauce and top with the remaining mozzarella.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pasta is golden and bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes.
Just before serving, sprinkle with extra parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.
This Saucy Baked Pumpkin Pasta is the perfect dish to enjoy on a cool fall day! Try it soon and come back to leave a review with your thoughts!
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