LIGHTER TOMATO "ALFREDO" PASTA BAKE

Lighter Tomato

A saucy pasta bake loaded with Italian sausage, tomato and Alfredo sauce, fusilli and melty mozzarella sounds delicious, but not particularly light-at least until now! This recipe was expressly designed to deliver on flavors of the dish that inspired it-crowd-favorite Tomato-Alfredo Baked Ziti-while also trimming down the calories. To pull this off, the Betty Crocker Kitchens made a number of smart changes: using turkey sausage in lieu of pork, reducing the amount of cheese and including a homemade Alfredo sauce that starts with a head of cauliflower. That's right: You can transform this nutrient-packed vegetable into a luscious and garlicky sauce. What's more, the creamy richness of the cauli-fredo sauce is enhanced by the mild acidity of the Muir Glen™ fire roasted crushed tomatoes. The pairing of these two sauces is what makes the dish so irresistible-and that's exactly what we were going for!

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories Entree

Time 1h30m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups water
1 package (12 oz) frozen cauliflower flowerets
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz uncooked fusilli or rotini pasta (about 2 cups)
1 package (8 oz) white mushrooms, cut into quarters
2 links (about 1/2 lb) Italian turkey sausage
1 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper
1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Steps:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In 3-quart saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon of the garlic; cook 5 to 6 minutes or until just tender. Transfer to blender. Return saucepan to medium heat; add water and frozen cauliflower. Increase heat to medium-high; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Drain and transfer cauliflower to blender; cool 10 minutes. Add whipping cream; cover and blend 60 to 90 seconds or until nearly smooth. Add Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; blend 60 to 90 seconds or until smooth.
Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Add to baking dish.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut sausage casing, and discard. Crumble sausage into skillet with mushrooms. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up sausage, until sausage is no longer pink. Stir in bell pepper and remaining 2 teaspoons garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Stir in tomatoes; heat 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through.
Add sausage mixture to baking dish; stir to completely combine. Top with mozzarella cheese; carefully pour cauliflower sauce over top. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly on edges.
Let stand 10 minutes. Top with basil.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 390, Carbohydrate 39 g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Fat 2, Fiber 4 g, Protein 20 g, SaturatedFat 9 g, ServingSize About 1 1/4 Cups, Sodium 870 mg, Sugar 8 g, TransFat 0 g