Italian Turkey Noodle Bake is a delicious dish layered with egg noodles, ground turkey, spices, tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan and zucchini.
- 2 cups dried egg noodles
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons garlic (finely minced)
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes INCLUDING JUICE (do not drain)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 medium zucchini sliced in ¼" rounds, then sliced in ¼'s
- 1 Tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on turkey mixture in skillet
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese *DIVIDED USE (FOR LAYERS)
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese *DIVIDED USE (FOR LAYERS)
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Cook egg noodles in boiling, salted water according to pkg. directions until tender (7-8 minutes, typically). Pour noodles into a colander, spray well with cold water (to stop cooking process). Drain well. Set them aside until later.
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9" x 9" baking dish lightly with non-stick spray on bottom and sides.
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Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Add chopped onions; cook for 3 minutes, stirring often until tender and translucent. Stir in minced garlic; continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring often so garlic doesn't burn (and become bitter).
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Add ground turkey to the skillet. Cook turkey (stirring often) until it is fully cooked and browned. Use a utensil to break up the turkey into small pieces as it cooks. When done, remove any accumulated grease from the skillet (discard it).
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Stir in diced canned tomatoes (INCLUDING juice), Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Stir to incorporate them into the turkey. Add zucchini; stir to combine. Simmer on Medium heat for 3 minutes. When done, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (approx. 1 Tbsp.); stir to combine.
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#1- Add a light layer of turkey mixture on the bottom of the dish (only enough to barely cover the bottom). #2- Add HALF the egg noodles on top of the bottom layer; distribute evenly. #3- Cover noodle layer with HALF of remaining turkey/veggie mixture. #4- Sprinkle surface with HALF the Parmesan cheese and HALF the grated mozzarella cheese. Now REPEAT the layers using the remaining ingredients (noodles, turkey mixture, both cheeses).
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Cover baking dish with foil. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, then remove aluminum foil. Put dish back in oven; bake (uncovered) an additional 15-20 minutes. Remove, let rest for about 3 minutes, then serve!
NOTE ABOUT THE ZUCCHINI: Trim ends off each zucchini. Cut each zucchini into round slices, each slice about ¼" thick. Cut each round into fourths.