PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

History of pepperoni:

Despite being thought of as an Italian meat, bright red meat product is actually as Italian-American as chicken parm!

The origin of pepperoni is an adaptation of other spicy sausage recipes, made with the ingredients that were available at the time in America.

The first known mention of pepperoni occurred in 1919, in New York City. At this time, the topping began to appear in a number of Italian delis and pizzerias across Lower Manhattan.

“Until about the ‘50s, it was considered an ethnic Italian dish.” The commercialization of the gas pizza oven, veterans returning from the Second World War, and the beginning of media coverage of pizza all converged and began to popularize the dish” says pizza scholar, historian, author of New Haven Apizza, and tour operator Colin Caplan. (source)

In modern Italy, the word “pepperoni” is often used when talking about bell peppers—so if you order “pepperoni pizza” in a part of Italy that doesn’t get a lot of tourists, you may be in for a surprise!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground lean ground turkey 97% lean
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
30 oz hunts tomato sauce or 2 cans 15 oz tomatoes with no added sugar
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
12 ounces rotini pasta low carb
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup no-fat mozzarella cheese
32 slices of turkey pepperoni, divided (approx 2 oz)
2 TBSP sliced black olives
top with additional zero point vegetables if you desire

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350
Cook pasta according to package and drain.
Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute ground turkey, onion, garlic, in a large skillet until meat is cooked.
Drain.
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl mix cooked pasta, meat mixture, sauce, 1 cup of cheese, 16 pepperoni and Italian seasoning.
Mix well.
Spread pasta mixture evenly in pan.
top with remaining cheese, pepperoni, and olives.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes
Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes until heated through.
Cut into 12 equal servings.
NOTES
Using canned tomato sauce, lean ground turkey (or chicken) and no fat cheese help make this a delicious low point casserole. If you use 99% fat-free turkey you can lower the points. The serving size is 1 cup. Serve with a low point side or green salad for a filling low point dinner.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 12
Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 197
Total Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 61mg
Sodium: 264mg
Carbohydrates: 8g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 18g

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