Baked Rigatoni with Mini Turkey Meatballs

1/2 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1 egg
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
4 oz rigatoni pasta
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 28oz can crushed tomatoes with basil and oregano added
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
2/3 cup part-skim ricotta
4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped or in a chiffonade

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp black pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, dried basil, parsley, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Make into mini-meatballs and place on baking sheet (should make about 20 meatballs). Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring once halfway, until cooked through.

Meanwhile, boil lightly salted water in a pan. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

In another pan, heat olive oil. Add garlic and saute lightly. Add crushed tomatoes and the other 1/2 tsp black pepper and the other 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Simmer on low until meatballs and pasta are done. (You can also use a jarred pasta sauce for this recipe or substitute any pasta sauce recipe you prefer.)

Mix together pasta, meatballs, and sauce. Pour 1/2 of this mixture into a baking dish (a bread pan works nicely). Top pasta mixture with 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 the ricotta. Add the other 1/2 of the pasta mixture. Add the remaining ricotta and mozzarella. Place in the oven until bubbling. Garnish with the fresh basil.

Serves 4.

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SPIFFYTIFFY3.