1 jar marinara, plain, brand of your choice
1.25 lbs. lean ground turkey
6 oz. of uncooked fusilli pasta
3 small crook neck squash, 1/4 ” sliced and quartered if necessary (depending on the size of the slice)
2 medium zucchini 1/4 ” slices, then quartered
Dry basil and dry oregano, as much or as little as you require
Salt and Pepper to season
2 cups shredded mozzarella
3-4 heels of bread, ripped into 1/4″ x 1/4″ bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1 cup low fat milk
Note: For this recipe, it is possible to multi-task. Start by making the roux, then start pasta and cooking turkey burger as you go. Before everything is done cooking, pre-heat oven. By doing this, it is possible to have an hour turnaround time including prep and baking.
Step 1: Make a roux. If you are short on time, skip this step, and just add more bread crumbs to your casserole. Using butter and flour in a small sauce pan, start the roux. On low to medium heat, melt the butter first, then slowly add the flour. Stir in the flour as you add it to ensure it is well mixed, and not lumpy. After all the flour has been added, stir on low heat until the mixture starts to thicken, and before it changes color to a yellow or brown, add low fat milk. Add the milk by slowly stirring in to the roux. When butter, flour, and milk are well mixed, add entire contents of marinara sauce. Stir in marinara, and keep sauce pan warm, stirring occasionally, while prepping other ingredients.This should create a slightly creamy, slightly thick tomato sauce for your casserole. A roux can be fairly easy to make after a few practice tries, but sometimes it will not come out perfect on the first try. If it comes out too lumpy, or if you are doubting your roux in any way, skip this step. Your casserole will survive without the roux, just add more bread crumbs as substitute. For more detailed instructions on how to make a roux: http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culinaryfundamentals/ss/roux.htm.
Step 2: If you skipped step 1, use this step. In a small sauce pan, warm marinara sauce. Keep sauce on low heat, stirring occasionally, while working on other prep.
Step 3: In a sauté pan, cook turkey burger with some olive oil, dry oregano, and dry basil. Break up meat with utensil as you sauté. When meat is cooked to about a medium rare, add sliced zucchini and squash to the pan. Right at the point of aldente with the veggies, pull from heat, cover, and leave until a bit later. At this point turkey burger should be cooked to a temperature of well.
Step 4: Boil water in medium pan for pasta, adding a pinch of salt. When water is at a boil, add pasta, and cook about 8-10 minutes or until aldente. Strain pasta from water and set aside.
Step 5: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 11 glass casserole dish with either butter or cooking spray of your choice. In bottom of dish, place bread crumbs. They do not need to cover the entire bottom, but try to at least get the corners of the dish. Again, if not using a roux, add more bread crumbs.
Step 6: Add half of your cooked pasta to dish, followed by half of your turkey burger and veggies. Cover pasta, turkey burger, veggies, and bread crumbs with half of the warmed marinara. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese evenly across dish.
Step 7: Add one more layer to your casserole, as directed in step 6.
Step 8: Add seasoning on top of dish as desired, i.e. sea salt and pepper or basil and oregano. Cover dish with aluminum foil. When oven is at 350 degrees, place casserole on top shelf and cook 25-35 minutes. Set timer initially for 25 minutes and check from there. All the ingredients have been cooked, so it is technically ready to eat at any time. When cooking you are looking for the desired “golden brownness” of the dish, which is up to your particular tastes. Serves 6-8 and is great when reheated the next day!
run.wine.dine.repeat. 