Tasty Tuesday ~ Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

Since starting Weight Watchers I've definitely gotten my mojo back in the kitchen.
Thank goodness.  Feels so good to be back!

So far all the new recipes I've tried have been good, but this one definitely takes the cake as a new staple in the EyeCanSee household!  The hubs was still talking about it 2 days later.  Plus it's a pretty big serving and very filling, and the leftovers were just as good.

And at my meeting on Saturday I picked up a new WW cookbook, so it's safe to say there will be more where this came from!  Enjoy!

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

what you need:

3/4 lb raw, spicy turkey sausage casing removed {I couldn't find turkey so substituted for an Italian Chicken sausage.  It was always fully cooked so I just diced it up}

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

28 oz canned diced tomatoes

10 oz frozen green peas, thawed {I thought this was kinda weird, but went with it.  You don't really even taste/notice them and it was a good way to sneak in an extra veggie.  They could be omitted no problem though}

2 Tbsp canned tomato paste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

{I just did 3 tsp of Italian seasoning and threw in some extra garlic...cause who doesn't love garlic!}

12 oz uncooked Whole Wheat Ziti, cooked according to package {I couldn't find whole wheat ziti, so used a penne instead}

6 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

what you do:

Preheat oven to 350

Crumble the sausage meat into a large saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often, about 4 minutes

Drain off any fat, then add the onion and bell pepper.  Cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, and all seasonings.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the cooked pasta and half the cheese.  Spread evenly into a 9x13 inch baking pan. 

Top evenly with remaining cheese.

Bake until cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.

Serves 8.  WW: 8 points plus per serving

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Bon Appetite!