Baked Turkey Spaghetti

I hate it when I forget to set out any protein for Nick's lunch/dinner. Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment (we got the go-ahead to start trying for a baby when we get back from Europe in October!) and was just not on top of things. But Nick needed to eat, so out came a tried and true, semi-homemade recipe we use often: turkey spaghetti. This one is nothing special, except that I use a couple of tricks to make the sauce taste a little more homemade. The nice thing is that this can be adjusted to anyone's taste.

Baked Turkey Spaghetti

1 pound penne pasta (or any other kind of pasta)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 pound ground turkey
Garlic
Onion powder
Pinch sugar
Basil
Oregano
Kosher salt
Pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted water to just under al dente. Meanwhile, cook the ground turkey in a skillet. Add in garlic, onion powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. My rule with ground turkey is to season until you're sure you've over-seasoned. Turkey is very bland and needs that help! While pasta and turkey are cooking, pour sauce in a blender. Add garlic cloves, onion powder, sugar, basil, and oregano and blend until smooth. Add in about 1/2 cup of water to the sauce and blend again. Pour sauce and turkey (drained of fat) into the pan with the pasta. Stir and then transfer to a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 15 minutes longer. To crisp up the cheese, place under the broiler for a minute or two. Enjoy!