By Kira J. Wills, the Saturday Chef, saturday-chef.blogspot.com

I liken the art of cooking to some personal form of mad science.  Everyone has strange concoctions or techniques that are unique to them.  A friend eats marshmallows with soy sauce.  My sister puts asparagus in everything.  My father puts hot sauce on popcorn and yogurt.  One of my habits is when making spaghetti, I prepare the meat like meatballs but brown it like regular ground meat.  It saves a lot of time, and the flavor is the same.

One day, I had an idea for a dish, so I took this meatball technique and added it to a few others, and created a wonderful hybrid of baked ziti and macaroni and cheese.  It was a pleasant surprise, a successfully tested hypothesis, and encouragement to keep experimenting.

Hearty and Unique--Italian Mac & Cheese

Cheese Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

2 to 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 cup half and half, optional

2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese

Salt, pepper

Tiny pinch of cayenne pepper

Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat.  When butter is melted, add fresh basil and garlic, whisk until fragrant, no longer than 1 minute.  Add flour.  Whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute to heat flour.  Pour in chicken broth and whisk until mixture is smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

Measure milk (half & half if desired) and heat in microwave until warm.  Add to mixture and stir.  Season with pepper, a tiny pinch of cayenne and a conservative amount of salt.  Turn burner down to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce bubbles, stirring occasionally, to marry flavors.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Meat

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 to 2 basil leaves, chopped
1 egg
1/3 to 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, chopped
Seasoning salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients and seasonings in a large bowl and mix well with hands.  Transfer turkey to a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Break up with a spatula.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is a no longer pink, but just barely done.  Remove from heat and drain excess juices.  Set aside.

Final Ingredients

2 cups penne pasta, cooked al dente1/2 to 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Squeeze all water out of spinach and pack into a measuring cup.  Pour hot pasta into a large glass baking dish.  Season pasta lightly with salt and pepper.  Add turkey and crumble in spinach.  Stir to combine.  Finally add cheese sauce until it is covered and gooey, but not drowning in it.  I had about less than a cup left over.  Carefully stir to combine.  Sprinkle top with grated parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes until top browns lightly, but bottom is still hot and creamy.