Individual Baked Pastas with Mini-Meatballs

A couple of weeks ago, Maria posted a recipe for Individual Baked Pastas on her blog, Two Peas and Their Pod. Check out her post to see how she prepared her baked pastas and her method of throwing them together. I took her idea and ran with it.
I decided to make some mini-meatballs out of lean ground turkey and throw them into the pasta. I also made a pasta sauce with the veggies I had in my fridge.
I already had some whole wheat pasta that was cooked, waiting to be used. So, I made the meatballs and sauce, and then threw all the ingredients together and topped them with cheese. I made them in little ramekins and put the leftover meatballs in the freezer. The best thing about this recipe or idea is that you can make it your own by adding whatever veggies you want or using your favorite sauce or cheese. My kids were crazy about this dinner. It is always more fun when you have your own little dish of pasta.

Mini-Meatballs by Mary Ann

16 oz lean ground turkey (I used 93% lean)

1- 10 oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg white

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until combined. I like to use my hands to evenly distribute the ingredients. Form into mini- meatballs and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Watch them closely, though, you don't want them to get tough.

Garden Pasta Sauce by Mary Ann

1 small onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 6-oz can tomato sauce

1 Tbls fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 Tbls fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

In a large dutch oven, heat 1 Tbls olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, green pepper, and zucchini. Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and fresh herbs. Bring to a boil and them reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Season to taste, with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, if necessary.

To assemble baked pasta- combine cooked pasta, sauce and meatballs in a large bowl. You could also add cheese. Or you can add the pasta, sauce and cheese in layers. Spoon into prepared ramekins (you could also use a large 9x13-inch dish) and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

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