again with this

Baked gnocchetti. I seem to be on a comfort food kick!

It's not that I need comforting. I think the appeal of these dishes right now is that they're so easy to make, and that's A-#1 when there's a baby involved. It doesn't hurt that they're tasty, and if you're careful, not too bad for you either. I used ground turkey instead of beef and added some sauteed veggies too. I can't really talk my way around the abundance of cheese, but what's a baked pasta dish without cheese?

Fall has definitely arrived (finally!) and cool evenings make hot and hearty dishes like this one extremely appropriate.

Baked Pasta (at its easiest and, dare I say, finest)
(printable recipe)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

• 8 ounces medium-sized pasta (I used gnocchetti)
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced or chopped
• 1 onion, thinly sliced or chopped
• 2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or purchased
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese, small curds
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Cover the pasta in hot salted water for 30 minutes; drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch dish.
Saute the turkey, onion, and pepper in a medium pan until the turkey is cooked and the veggies are soft, about 10 minutes; drain.
Combine the pasta, turkey, veggies, sauce, and cottage cheese and stir until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and the cheese on top is melted.
Set oven to broiler and allow cheese to brown for 30-45 seconds.
Remove from oven and let dish stand for 5-8 minutes before serving.