GROUND TURKEY AND GOAT CHEESE PASTA BAKE

Ground Turkey and Goat Cheese Pasta Bake image

I created this recipe one night when trying to think of other ways to use up some goat cheese I had on hand, and didn't have any pasta sauce! It actually came out better than I expected. The goat cheese gives it a wonderful creamy texture and the tomato soup, rather than sauce, gives it a hint of sweetness.

Provided by Melissa

Time 55m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package cavatappi (corkscrew macaroni)
1 ⅓ pounds lean ground turkey
1 pinch Italian seasoning, or to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (19 ounce) can tomato-basil soup (such as Progresso®)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
6 ounces chevre (soft goat cheese), crumbled
1 ⅓ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 9 to 10 minutes. Drain; return to the pot and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir turkey with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain fat.
Combine browned turkey, cooked pasta, 1 can of tomato soup, diced tomatoes, and chopped green pepper in a bowl.
Place one layer of the pasta mixture in the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Spread 1/3 of the 2nd can of tomato soup over this layer; add 1/3 of the crumbled goat cheese, and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat with second and third layers of pasta, ensuring that the top layer is completely covered with mozzarella.
Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and cheese is melted and browned on top, 20 to 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 652.1 calories, Carbohydrate 69.6 g, Cholesterol 111.1 mg, Fat 22.9 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 43.7 g, SaturatedFat 11.1 g, Sodium 978.4 mg, Sugar 7.6 g