Italian Turkey Bake

I was planning on making baked ziti for dinner with some low calorie changes. I did not have any ziti so I used rotini. But I couldn't call it baked ziti anymore so it's Italian Turkey Bake! This is one of those easy to put together after work meals and if your baby is like mine and still not eating every meal you are, it's easily adaptable for her too.

First, I cooked up the ground turkey. I cooked it in a tiny bit of olive oil with chopped onions, garlic, italian seasoning and balsamic vinegar. Once it was all cooked, I set a bit of this aside for the baby. Although, she tolerates tomatoes fine, they are one of those foods "they" say to hold off until babies turn one. Like citrus fruits, tomatoes are high in acid and can therefore cause tummy upsets. I am obsessed with my baby's tummy. I am very careful with new foods and common "upsetting" foods to watch for reactions and discomforts. For the most part, foods that have upset her at some point, won't after she's eaten them a few times. I have given her oranges and tomato sauces, but in small doses. So, I decided just to set aside the turkey pre-sauced. I mixed in some cooked pasta, cottage cheese and mozzarella for her dinner and she loved it.

While cooking the turkey, I also boiled my rotini. I boil in water only. I use oil and salt during cooking only when necessary so that my daughter (and me and my husband) don't get the extra sodium and calories when they just are not needed. Salt can always be added later.

For the sauce, I combined 1 small can tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 egg, beaten, and 1 cup lowfat cottage cheese in a big bowl. Next, mix in the cooked pasta and turkey. I spoon out half the pasta mixture into a large casserole dish and cover that with about 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Dish out the rest of your pasta and cover with another cup of mozzarella and pop in the oven. It needs to cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

According to my calorie program I use on my phone this dish is only about 700 calories a serving. The way I entered the recipe, one serving is 1/4 of the whole dish. That's a lot of pasta! But I will note, I only used about 2/3 of the box of pasta because I set the rest aside to save for the baby. If you used a whole box, the calories would be higher. Pasta is not the best choice for the calorie counter for obvious reasons, but the pasta that is out there now can provide so many nutrients that if eaten occasionally it is still a great choice. I used whole wheat pasta but most brands also offer an enriched variety that has added nutrients such as protein, fiber and vitamins. I've used and like Barilla Plus and Ronzoni Smart Taste. I also love using all natural veggie pasta, like this from Hodgson Mill. It's an easy and tasty way to add even more vegetables to our diets.

Here's the recipe in a more recipe-like form:

Italian Turkey Bake

2/3 box Rotini pasta (about 10 oz.)
1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1-2 TB Italian seasonings, to taste
1 TB balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1 can tomato sauce, 8 oz
1 can diced or petite diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz
2 cups mozzarella, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onions in olive oil. Add ground turkey, garlic, vinegar and seasonings. Boil pasta. In a large bowl, combine beaten egg, cottage cheese, tomatoes and sauce. Add cooked pasta and cooked turkey. Place half in a 9x13 casserole dish and cover with half the mozzarella. Dish out the remaining pasta and cover with the rest of the mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Yum.

Yum.

Hearty, healthy meal paired with a romaine salad. Yum.