Have you ever been too busy that you can’t or don’t want to leave the house to grab a bite to eat? This bake was created for that very reason. While at a friend’s house in college, I raided her kitchen because we were studying. And from this, the pasta bake was born. Over the years, this casserole has taken on a life of its own. I’ve experimented by adding roasted red bell peppers, sautéed mushrooms, and even black olives. Depending on the marinara sauce you choose to use, this dish can taste like a yummy pizza! The possibilities are endless! Play around and make it your own.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz pkg of pasta (your choice. I prefer cavatappi, but any type that can hold sauce well.)
1 10 oz tub of Spinach
1 small shallot, diced
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 pkg Italian seasoned ground turkey meat (if not available, use ground turkey with a couple tablespoons of Italian seasoning while browning your meat)
4 links sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
1 tbp Italian Seasoning
2 tsp dried fennel seeds (optional)
Red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)
1 jar marinara sauce (your choice)
2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven at 350. Boil your pasta noodles to al dente. While the pasta is boiling, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and let cook until they are clear, about a minute. Add spinach and sauté. Add salt and pepper to season the spinach. Once the spinach is wilted, set aside in a bowl.

In the same pan, brown the turkey meat and Italian sausage, crumbling them into bite size pieces. Drain off any grease that is in the pan once the meat is almost completely browned. Add the Italian Seasoning , fennel and red pepper to the meat. Mix in well.

While the meat is browning, remove the spinach from the bowl, reserving the liquid. Mince the spinach into fine pieces; place back in bowl with the liquid. Pour the marinara into the pan with the meat mixture. Mix well. Add the spinach and mix well. Once everything is mixed together, add your pasta to the sauce to complete the cooking, making sure all the pasta is coated with the marinara, about 5 minutes.

Once it is all incorporated, the pasta can be eaten as is, or baked in a casserole dish. If baking, take half of the pasta and place it in the casserole dish. Place a layer of cheese over the pasta, followed by the top layer of pasta and layer of cheese.

Heat pasta in the oven until cheese is melted, about 20-30 minutes. Pasta is ready to eat!

Enjoy!