What's for dinner?

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

This recipe is directly from the Weight Watcher's website. I was very excited to try it after realizing it is a ziti recipe without ricotta-- Dan refuses to eat ricotta. I was worried it was going to be high for such a small serving. We we're pleasantly surprised to find that 1/8 of the pan was plenty! I think the recipe totally needs more cheese so I added a little bit more on top (about 1/4 cup) plus sprinkled reduced-fat parmesan cheese on there. To be fair, I also added a can of mushrooms, which the recipe doesn't require. Believe it or not, Dan thought I could have added EVEN MORE veggies. It was tasty, and there are plenty of leftovers!

Points +:  8
Servings: 8

	INGREDIENTS: 3/4 pound(s) raw turkey sausage, spicy-variety, casings removed
	1 medium onion(s), chopped
	1 medium green pepper(s), chopped
	28 oz canned diced tomatoes
	10 oz frozen green peas, thawed
	2 Tbsp canned tomato paste
	1 tsp dried oregano
	1 tsp dried basil
	1/2 tsp dried thyme
	1/2 tsp fennel seed
	1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
	12 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, ziti, cooked according to package directions
	6 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses   INSTRUCTIONS: Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. 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, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cooked pasta and half the cheese. Spread evenly into a 9- X 13-inch baking pan. Top evenly with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.