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Southwest Pasta Bake

By: Carol Lepak

"Fat-free cream cheese and reduced-fat cheddar make this creamy casserole lower in fat and calories. It's a good way to get our kids to eat spinach in 'disguise'. --Carol Lepak of Sheboygan, Wisconsin"

Rate/Review | Read Reviews (28)

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
30 Min

Ready In:
45 Min

Servings (Help)

US Metric Calculate

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
1 (8 ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16 ounce) jar picante sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add milk; beat until smooth. stir in spinach and oregano; set aside. In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the picante sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain pasta; stir into meat mixture.
In a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, layer half of the meat mixture and all of the spinach mixture. Top with remaining meat mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with olives and onions. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Footnotes

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 cup) equals 333 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 41 mg cholesterol, 996 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 26 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 3 vegetable, 1-1/2 starch.