1/6th of recipe (about 1 1/4 cups): 247 calories, 6g total fat (3g sat. fat), 519mg sodium, 30g carbs, 4g fiber, 6.5g sugars, 19.5g protein

Green Plan SmartPoints
® value 6*
Blue Plan (Freestyle
) SmartPoints® value 6*
Purple Plan SmartPoints
® value 3*

Cheesy baked pasta is a total comfort-food favorite, and we're nuts about this Mexican-themed twist. You will be too... Trust us!

Prep:
15 minutes
Cook:
40 minutes

Ingredients: 
5 oz. (about 1 1/2 cups) uncooked high-fiber penne pasta 
10 oz. raw extra-lean ground beef (4% fat or less) 
2 tbsp. taco seasoning mix 
1 cup chopped bell pepper 
1 cup chopped onion 
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn kernels 
3/4 cup light/low-fat ricotta cheese 
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes 
1/4 tsp. salt 
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese 

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8" X 8" baking pan with nonstick spray. 

Cook pasta al dente per package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain well, and transfer to a large bowl. 

Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add beef, and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. taco seasoning. Cook and crumble until beef is mostly cooked, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, onion, and corn. Cook and stir until beef is fully cooked, veggies have partially softened, and corn has thawed, about 4 minutes. 

Remove skillet from heat, and stir in ricotta cheese. Transfer mixture to the bowl of pasta. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, and remaining 1 tbsp. taco seasoning. Mix until uniform.

Transfer mixture to the baking pan, and smooth out the surface. Top with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese. 

Bake until entire dish is hot and cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. 

MAKES 6 SERVINGS  

*The PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® values for these products and/or recipes were calculated by Hungry Girl and are not an endorsement or approval of the product, recipe, or its manufacturer or developer by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus® registered trademark and SmartPoints® trademark.

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