Cheesy Pizza Pasta Bake

8 oz lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons olive oil
- Optional Toppings -
medium red onion, cut into thinly sliced rings
sliced Portabella mushrooms,
diced green bell pepper
diced red bell pepper
sliced black olives

2 cups cooked whole grain penne
12 ounce jar marinara, no sugar added
1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
1/2 cup 2% reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook turkey in a large skillet over medium heat, sprinkle with sage, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt to taste. Break turkey up into chunks while cooking, continue cooking until it has lost its pink color and is cooked through. Drain and set aside.

In a medium non-stick skillet, on medium-low heat, add oil and cook onion rings until they begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms release moisture, about 5 additional minutes. Drain liquid.

Cook penne according to instructions of the box.

Combine in a large mixing bowl marinara, cooked penne, cooked turkey and basil, spread into a 8"x8" casserole dish. Evenly distribute remaining ingredients over penne, top with mozzarella. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Serving Size: makes 4 cups

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHRISTINE798.