Ground Turkey and Zucchini Lasagna Bake

I call this recipe a "Lasagna Bake" because there are only 6 noodles and its mostly a veggie/meat/cheese dish. It's really good- but not a traditional lasagna you cut...this is more of a scoop into a bowl kinda meal.

Meat Sauce
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 Tsp. Ground Basil
1 Tsp. Fennel Seeds
Sea Salt
Pepper
3/4 Jar Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce
1/4 C. Red Wine

Veggies
3 Zucchinis (I used 2 green, 1 yellow)
1 Tsp. Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Ground Basil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Cheese Mixture
2 C. Ricotta Cheese
1 C. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Egg

6 No-Bake Lasagna Noodles
Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 C. Shredded Mozzarella
1/4 Jar Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce
10 Fresh Basil Leaves, Chopped

Preheat the oven to 375.
Brown the ground turkey in a frying pan. Drain the grease. Season with salt, pepper, fennel and basil. Add the tomato sauce, red wine and simmer.

In another frying pan, heat olive oil. Add the sliced zucchini and season with salt, pepper and basil. Sauté until soft, for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella and egg. Stir and set aside.

In a 9x13 casserole dish, pour the rest of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place 3 noodles on the sauce. Layer with half the meat sauce and then all of the cheese mixture. Layer with 3 more noodles. Top with the veggies, the rest of the meat sauce, mozzarella cheese, basil leaves and a couple swift shakes of the crushed red pepper.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

The most American-Italian dish ever--- breaded chicken, lots of sauce and covered in cheese. SO good and such a comfort food. So when one of our friends was sick-- I immediately whipped up this dish to bring over. It's great for leftovers, warms up easily in the microwave and soothes the soul.

1 Box of Whole Wheat Bowties or Penne
2 lbs. Chicken Breasts (cut into tender size strips)
1 Cup Breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning  (make your own here)
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg
1/4 C. Milk
3 oz. of Fresh Mozzarella (or 3/4 cup of shredded)
Sea Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
2 Cups Marinara Sauce

Preheat oven to 375.
Start pasta and cook until al dente according to the box.

Start stations for the chicken.
Plate one- raw chicken
Small Bowl- Mix egg and milk
Large Mixing Bowl- Add breadcrumbs, spices, parmesan cheese and a couple pinches of salt and grinds of pepper.
Large Plate- for the breaded chicken.

One piece of chicken at a time: dredge in egg mixture, roll in the breadcrumbs and set on large plate.
Continue until all pieces are covered and ready to cook.

Heat 1/4" of olive oil in a large frying pan. Over medium heat add the chicken. Letting it cook for about 2 minutes, turn. The chicken should be golden brown. Let cook another 2 minutes and then turn heat to low and cover for about 3 minutes. The key is to not turn the chicken more than once or twice-- this keeps the breading in tact.

Drain the pasta and add to a large casserole dish. Coat with a little olive oil (to prevent the bottom from burning), a little salt and pepper and about 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly.

Place the chicken directly on top of the pasta. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top. I placed a mozzarella slice on each piece, but you can use more or less.

Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.

A lot of dishes to clean in the end, but if you make enough- it will feed you long enough to make up for it! Serve with steamed broccoli or fresh greens!
-e