Italian Pasta Bake! Fall is finally here and that means comfort food! This Italian Pasta bake is so easy to make and delicious, your family is going to love this!
This recipe and post is sponsored by GoodCook.
Fall is one of my favorite seasons! I love seeing the leaves start to change colors, the cooler weather and cooking all of my favorite healthy comfort foods! Soups, chili, pasta bakes, you name it, my family and I love it!
ITALIAN PASTA BAKE
There’s something so wonderful about the smell of tomatoes simmering with garlic and onions and filling the kitchen. Tomato sauce with pasta and cheese. To me, there’s nothing better. If you’ve never made a pasta bake before, it’s similar to making lasagna but so much easier and faster!
ITALIAN PASTA BAKE: HEALTHY COMFORT COOKING
Healthy comfort cooking. What does that even mean? Well, for me, that means making dishes from scratch. Knowing what ingredients I am using and making better choices. I think when some people think comfort food, they immediately think unhealthy and filling.
With this Italian Pasta Bake, it’s the opposite. With this recipe, I use ground turkey, instead of ground beef. You can also use whole wheat or gluten free pasta instead of regular. You can also reduce the amount of cheese added on top (if desired) and you can make your pasta sauce from scratch. You can and should also serve this pasta bake with roasted or steamed vegetables!
For me, healthy comfort cooking is mainly feeling good about the food I am feeding my family and my children and making sure they are getting a hearty, fresh-from-the-oven, home cooked meal.
MAKE AHEAD
Every home cook needs a great pasta bake recipe in your repertoire. Pasta bakes are so easy to make and can easily be prepped and made ahead as well. If wanting to make this ahead: cook the pasta a day before, as well as the tomato sauce and turkey mixture. Store in the refrigerator and then, the night of, you can just assemble everything in your baking dish and bake! I hope you give this recipe a try!!
OVEN-TO-TABLE STONEWARE
If there’s one kitchen essential for fall, it’s a baking dish. I love that my family knows something delicious is going to come out of the oven when my white Oven-to-Table Stoneware baking dish comes out. This is a new line of bakeware made by GoodCook.
I love the all-white, modern design and the easy-grip raised, contoured handles. Available in 13 shapes and sizes, this new line includes the most popular baking sizes and shapes, ramekins and a covered mug. This 13” x 9” baking dish is the perfect size for hearty, delicious fall dishes and I hope you check it out!
Italian Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil split
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce
- 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) crushed plum tomatoes
- 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 lb. cooked pasta elbow pasta or penne
- 1/2 cup provolone cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese shredded
- parsley finely diced
Instructions
- In a large skillet or pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook ground turkey until browned and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove cooked turkey to a plate and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and after a minute or two, add in the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat for a few minutes, or until onions become tender. Add in the sliced mushrooms and the dried Italian seasoning and cook for a few minutes. Add the cooked turkey back into the skillet.
- Stir in the spaghetti sauce, crushed plum tomatoes and the diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Using your GoodCook Oven-to-Table Stoneware baking dish, add in the cooked pasta evenly on the bottom. Top with the tomato sauce mixture in an even layer and sprinkle on the cheese, over the top. Bake in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly and heated through. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley, serve and enjoy!
Love comfort food like this, and really loving their bakeware too!
So perfectly cozy and comforting!!
Such a delicious comfort food dish for the chilly days ahead Alice! Love the baking dish too!
Yummy..!! I like it. I just made this yesterday, it was delicious. Thanks for sharing!