Turkey Ragu with Fontina and Parmesan

I love hearty, cheesy pasta dishes like meat sauce and lasagna, but it's impossible to keep to a diet when eating such meals! I put this together one night to attempt a healthy version of a traditional ragu. It is surprisingly tasty and lends itself to modifications for personalization of taste.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 421 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia®), diced
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can canned diced tomatoes with their juice
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can canned crushed tomatoes

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onions until translucent and slightly brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then add the ground turkey. Cook and stir until the turkey is no longer pink. Mix in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Combine pasta with the tomato sauce in the skillet. Toss pasta with the fontina cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese until the cheese is melted. Serve pasta in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.