Southwest Pasta Bake

Ingredients: 

8 ounces uncooked penne
1 (8 ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, cubed
½ cup fat-free mlk
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16 ounce) jar picante sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 (2¼ ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
¼ cup sliced green onions

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add milk; beat until smooth. Stir in spinach and oregano; set aside.

3. In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in picante sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

4. Drain pasta; stir into meat mixture.

5. In a 13x9x2-inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, layer half of the meat mixture and all of the spinach mixture. Top with the remaining meat mixture. Cover and bake at 350°F 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

Serves 8

Per serving
Calories 333
Total Fat 10g
Sat 4g
Protein 26g
Carb 38g
Fiber 4g
Cholesterol 41mg
Sodium 996mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 3 vegetable, 1½ starch