For sauce:
- ½ tbsp Olive oil
- 3 cloves Garlicminced
- 1 White oniondiced
- 1 Red bell pepperdiced
- 2 cups Mushroomsbaby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 lb Ground turkey94% lean
- 1 tbsp Dried Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp Ground paprika
- ½ tsp Red pepper flakesor a dash of cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch Ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp Saltplus more to taste
- Black pepperfreshly ground, to taste
- 1 (25-oz) jar Marinara sauce
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree
- 8 oz Pastaziti or pasta of choice
For cheese mixture:
- 1 cup Ricotta cheesepart-skim
- 6 oz Mozzarellacut into small bite sized pieces and divided or use about 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheesegrated
To garnish:
- Sageor chopped parsley, to taste
- extra Parmesan cheese
Saucy Baked Pumpkin Pasta
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:
Steps to make Saucy Baked Pumpkin Pasta
1 | Heat oil and cook vegetables | 5 |
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. | ||
2 | Add ground turkey and seasoning | 5 |
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. | ||
3 | Add pasta sauce and pumpkin puree | 5 |
Pour in a jar of pasta sauce and 1 cup of pumpkin puree. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer. | ||
4 | Cook pasta | 8 |
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. | ||
5 | Heat oven and prepare baking dish | |
As the pasta cooks, preheat the oven to 375 °F. Lightly grease an 8x8 or 7x9-inch casserole dish with olive oil. Set aside. | ||
6 | Make cheese mixture | 1 |
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. | ||
7 | Mix | 1 |
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. | ||
8 | Assemble pasta bake | 5 |
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. | ||
9 | Bake | 25 |
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pasta is golden and bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes. | ||
10 | Serve | |
Just before serving, sprinkle with extra parmesan and freshly chopped parsley. | ||
Recipe Reviews
This looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
Write your own review