Italian Pasta Bake

Italian Pasta Bake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/C00KINGR00M Twitter: https://twitter.com/C00KINGR00M YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/CookingRoom Google+: https://www.google.com/+CookingRoom INGREDIENTS: 1 pound Ground Turkey {or Ground Sirloin} 1 {16 oz.} box Cavatappi Pasta 1 cup Basil Pesto 1 {15 oz} can Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce 1 bag Fresh Baby Spinach 2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced 1-1/2 cups Freshly Grated Asiago Cheese 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs {optional} Olive Oil DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil and season generously with kosher salt. Add pasta and cook to just shy of al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water. To the pasta add the pesto and Asiago cheese and mix. Meanwhile; over medium heat cook the ground turkey and garlic until the turkey is fully cooked, about 8 minutes. Add the entire can of tomatoes and stir. Place all the spinach on top of the simmering tomato and turkey mixture; reduce heat and cover to cook the spinach about 2-3 minutes. Next, add the pesto pasta to the tomato mixture and toss. If desired add a little of the pasta water to thin out the sauce. Immediately add the pasta to a lightly oiled baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. For more texture; sprinkle with a cup of panko bread crumbs and drizzle with a little olive oil, this step is totally optional. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the top is golden. About 20-25 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Adapted from: http://www.simplyscratch.com/2011/09/italian-pasta-bake.html