Southwest Pasta Bake

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
• 1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1 package (10 ounces)frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jar (16 ounces) picante sauce
• 1 can (8 ounces) no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 can (6 ounces) no-salt-added tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from tasteofhomebooks.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in milk. Stir in spinach and oregano; set aside.

In nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in picante sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain pasta; stir into meat mixture.

In 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer half of meat mixture and all of spinach mixture. Top with remaining meat mixture.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with olives and onions. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

1 serving equals 333 calories,