The Make-It-Your-Own Pasta Bake

Favorite veggies, favorite cheese - you do you

I love this meal because it can feed all of us, comes together in under an hour, and is super comforting and flavorful. It’s an easy make-ahead meal, and even last minute if you can fit in some prep time before dinner.

Before we dive in, I want to say something about using GF pastas in one-pot or casserole dishes. Often you can run the risk of letting the pasta get too soggy or disintegrated. Therefore, it is usually best to cook the pasta separately and then combine at the end. That being said, the Barilla gluten free pastas are so delicious and hold up so well, it worked great in this recipe with zero issues! I highly recommend them and always load up on these when I see them at the store. It tastes just like the real thing.

Here we go!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

1 Small onion, diced
Parsley, small bunch chopped (or about 3 Tablespoons)
Spinach (I did half a clamshell box from the store)
1.5 Cups GF penne or rotini pasta (Barilla works best, as mentioned above)
2.5 Cups broth
2 Cups tomato sauce (we love Rao’s or Primal Kitchen)
1 lbs. ground turkey
1 Cup shredded cheese
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper to taste

Brown the meat with a little olive oil. While the meat is cooking, dice the onion and parsley. Add to the meat and sauté. After the onion becomes fragrant and translucent, add the spices and spinach to wilt. Once fully combined (about 5 more min), add in pasta, tomato sauce and broth. Mix fully, then pop in the oven for 40 minutes! Top with cheese, then bake for 5 more minutes and serve.

*A note on substitutions. You can use any ground meat you want, or pulled meat. Any type of broth or tomato sauce you want to use will work! I originally made this with broccoli, but it wasn’t a fan favorite with the kids. Spinach cooks nicely, but I think any leafy green would be fine (shredded kale, swiss chard, etc). I would avoid veggies with high water content, like zucchini or mushroom. All to say, you can really make this your very own and add your family’s favorite meats, cheeses and seasonings!