Italian Wedding Pasta
Rich enough to celebrate a special occasion, our baked pasta lightens up the calories with reduced-fat milk and lean turkey
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ¼ cup plain dried bread crumbs
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves chopped
- 3 garlic cloves 1 clove crushed with garlic press and 2 thinly sliced
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup freshly grated pecorino-romano cheese
- 1 package 16 ounces farfalle or bow-tie pasta
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1½ cups reduced-fat 2% milk
- 1 can 14½ ounces reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 bag 9 ounces baby spinach
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line 15½” by 10½” jelly-roll pan with foil.
- In medium bowl, with fingertips, mix turkey, bread crumbs, parsley, crushed and sliced garlic, egg, and ¼ cup Romano cheese just until blended; do not overmix.
- Shape turkey mixture into 1-inch meatballs (you will have about 36); place in prepared pan.
- Bake 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta as label directs, but drain 2 minutes before indicated cooking time; return to saucepot.
- In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk cornstarch into milk.
- Add milk mixture and broth to pasta in saucepot; heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
- Boil 1 minute to thicken sauce slightly.
- Remove saucepot from heat; stir in spinach, ½ cup grated Romano, and pepper.
- Add meatballs and gently toss to combine.
- Transfer pasta mixture to 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish; sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup grated Romano.
- Bake 20 minutes or until hot in the center and golden brown on top.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 390 kcal
