Mostaccioli & Turkey
Submitted by John462
Baked mostaccioli and ground turkey casserole layered with tomato sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a light bechamel topped with mozzarella. Greek pastitsio meets weeknight dinner.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
40 minCOOK
45 minREADY
90 minThis turkey and pasta casserole borrows from Greek pastitsio: layers of mostaccioli and seasoned ground turkey baked under a nutmeg-scented white sauce and melted mozzarella. The pinch of cinnamon in the meat sauce is the giveaway. It’s a warm spice that shows up in a lot of Greek and Middle Eastern meat dishes, and it adds a subtle sweetness you can’t quite place.
The white sauce on top is kept lean with skim milk and margarine, but it still does its job. It bakes into a set, custard-like layer that holds the casserole together and keeps the pasta from drying out in the oven.
Ground turkey can dry out fast, so cook it only until no pink remains. Overdone turkey in a casserole that bakes for another 35 minutes will turn crumbly and tough.
Pro Tips
- Cook the mostaccioli a minute shy of al dente. It finishes cooking in the oven and absorbs liquid from the sauce. Fully cooked pasta will turn mushy after baking.
- Stir the white sauce constantly while it thickens. Flour-based sauces go from smooth to lumpy in seconds if ignored.
- Use no-salt-added tomato sauce since the casserole gets salted separately. Regular tomato sauce will push this over the edge.
- Let the casserole rest 10 minutes after baking. It slices much cleaner once the layers have a chance to set.
Variations
- Classic pastitsio: Swap mostaccioli for bucatini and use ground lamb instead of turkey for a fully traditional Greek version.
- Cheesy upgrade: Mix ricotta into the white sauce for a richer, creamier top layer.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Prepare a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
Cook mostaccioli pasta according to package directions except omit the salt.
Drain.
In a skillet, cook turkey, bell peppers, and onions until no pink remains in turkey and vegetables are tender.
Stir in salt, oregano, cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, tomato sauce, and garlic.
Alternate layers of mostaccioli and meat mixture in prepared dish.
Heat margarine in a saucepan over low heat until melted.
Stir in flour and remaining nutmeg.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.
Boil and stir 1 minute.
Spoon sauce over mostaccioli and meat mixture.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
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