Beef / Pork

Southwest Pasta Bake is for Dinner.

Southwest Pasta Bake takes 30 minutes to prepare.

Southwest Pasta Bake takes 30 minutes to cook.

Southwest Pasta Bake makes 8 servings.

The ingredients for Southwest Pasta Bake are:

8 oz uncooked penne
1 pkg (8oz) fat-free cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
1 tsp oregano
1 pound lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (16oz) picante sauce
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6oz) tomato paste
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup (4oz) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Here is how you make Southwest Pasta Bake:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add milk; beat until smooth, stir in spinach & oregano; set aside. In a non-stick skillet, cook beef & garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stire in the picante sauce, tomato sauce & paste, chili powder & cumin; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for about 5 minutes. Drain pasta; stir into meat mixture.In a 13x9x2 baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray, layer half of the meat mixture and then all of the spinach mixture. Top with remaining meat mixture. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover & sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts. Sprinkle with onions and olives.Makes 8 servings.Number of Servings: 8Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user WIIGIRL70.

The nutritional information for Southwest Pasta Bake is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 319.7

• Total Fat: 10.0 g
• Cholesterol: 46.2 mg
• Sodium: 644.0 mg
• Total Carbs: 31.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.7 g
• Protein: 23.0 g