Creating easy weeknight dinners can be sometimes feel a little daunting, but not if you focus on the end result – a healthy delicious meal in minutes. During the week I like to keep it a little lighter, so I can indulge a bit more on the weekend and adding lean protein to your meals is a good way to go, especially if you combine it with some seasonal vegetables.
Starting with roasted turkey breast from the deli or grocery store is a time-saving choice to making dinnertime easier. Simply dice up the roasted turkey into chunks, and add it to some frozen artichoke hearts and peas, then toss it in a light creamy sauce with some brown rice pasta – for a delightful gluten-free meal.
Another great tip is that you can make this pasta recipe ahead, and bake it up right before serving. Also, this dish is totally portable – easy to take it to a pot-luck or buffet gathering with family and friends on the weekend.
Ingredients
1 pound brown rice Penne pasta
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups low-fat milk
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese or light cream cheese
1 1/4 pounds roasted turkey breast
14 ounces canned or frozen artichoke hearts, drained
1 /2 fresh or frozen peas
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups Pecorino cheese, divided
(Serves 6)
To Prepare:
1. Boil brown rice pasta for 8 minutes, drain and reserve. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice artichokes into thirds, rinse peas, remove Neufchatel from packaging and grate Pecorino cheese. In a large pot over medium heat, add butter and cornstarch. Whisk until combined, about 1 minute.
2. Add milk and Neufchatel cheese to pot and whisk until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper and mustard, whisk until combined.
3. Dice up turkey and add it to sauce, along with artichokes and peas. Stir to combine flavors, about 2 minutes.
4. Toss with cooked pasta and 1 cup of Pecorino cheese, stir to combine. Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in oven uncovered for 15 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted and lightly browned. Serve family-style on table. Enjoy!
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