Easy Baked Penne with Ricotta and Basil

Here's a recipe that I found on the Whole Foods website. Tastier than we expected! The leftovers keep pretty well too!

Easy Baked Penne with Ricotta and Basil

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound dried penne rigate pasta
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (25-ounce) jar pasta sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook penne according to directions on package, then drain and set aside to let cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey in oil. Drain. Combine ricotta cheese, basil, 1 1/2 cups of the pasta sauce, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Add pasta and cooked turkey to cheese mixture and toss gently to coat. Spread 1/2 cup of the remaining pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Pour pasta mixture into dish and spread out evenly. Drizzle remaining sauce over the top, then sprinkle with cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Notes: If you're looking for a meatless meal, the ground turkey can easily be left out. If you'd like a variation, try stirring in some shredded rotisserie chicken instead of ground turkey. Also, I recommend tossing in a bit of oregano or other Italian seasoning just to pump it up a bit.