Pasta Bake

I absolutely love pasta and will never cut it out of my life.  So instead of cutting out pasta, I have learned to make healthy recipes including this Pasta Bake.  This bake is my own recipe so I don't have the exact point value but it is still healthy and delicious. 

For the recipe you will need:

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic Powder

Season Salt

Basil 

Oregano

A Can of Diced Tomatoes

Classic Tomato and Basil Sauce

Whole Wheat Pasta (I used Penne)

1 Pound of Ground Beef (lean)

1 Onion

Fat Free Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

First dice your onion and place olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a skillet.  Saute the onion in the oil until tender.

Add ground beef to the onion and season ground beef to taste.  Brown the ground beef (I use 97/3 variety).

Once the ground beef is brown add a can of diced tomatoes.

Then add the can of tomato sauce and season to taste.  I typically add season salt, garlic powder, basil and oregano.  

While the pasta sauce is simmering cook the whole wheat pasta.

For the bake, I add a tablespoon of sauce and sprinkle the fat free cheese to a baking dish.

Then start layering pasta, pasta sauce and cheese (kind of like making lasagna).

When the pasta is layered cover the dish with foil or its lid and place in the refrigerator.  This may seem strange but the fat free cheese does not melt well.  If you place it in the refrigerator, the cheese will sort of melt.  Helping it when you make it.

Preheat the oven to 375 and cover the dish with foil.  

Bake the pasta bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.  Serve hot!

For an estimated point value - calculate the pasta bake as follows:  3 ounces of ground beef - 3 points, 1/2 cup of pasta sauce - 1 point , one cup of whole wheat pasta - 4 points, 1/4 cup of cheese 1 point for a grand total of 9 points.