Italian Pasta Bake

Cheesy goodness - this dish is full of it! It is the perfect comfort dish for the season. Warm cavatappi pasta melded with fresh pesto, fire roasted tomatoes, ground beef and fresh asiago cheese make this casserole fabulous. It it the perfect quick solution to a weeknight meal that will feed the entire family, or feed just you and your roommates with enough leftovers for lunch for the rest of the week. Even though the panko breadcrumbs are optional I would highly suggest including them as they give this dish the perfect crunch!

Source: Simply Scratch

You Will Need:

• 1 pound Ground Sirloin
• 1 {16 oz.} box Cavatappi Pasta
• 1 cup Basil Pesto
• 1 {15 oz} can Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
• 1 bag Fresh Baby Spinach
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
• 1-1/2 cups Freshly Grated Asiago Cheese
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs {optional}
• Olive Oil

 Here We Go:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil and season generously with kosher salt
• Add pasta and cook to just shy of al dente
• Reserve a cup of pasta water
• To the pasta add the pesto and Asiago cheese and mix
• Meanwhile; over medium heat cook the ground turkey and garlic until the turkey is fully cooked, about 8 minutes
• Add the entire can of tomatoes and stir
• Place all the spinach on top of the simmering tomato and turkey mixture; reduce heat and cover to cook the spinach about 2-3 minutes
• Next, add the pesto pasta to the tomato mixture and toss
• If desired add a little of the pasta water to thin out the sauce
• Immediately add the pasta to a lightly oiled baking dish
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese
• For more texture; sprinkle with a cup of panko bread crumbs and drizzle with a little olive oil, this step is totally optional
• Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until the top is golden (about 20-25 minutes)
• Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving

Serves 6-8
Happy Feasting!