Turkey and Zucchini Pasta

* I'm a blog ambassador for La Cucina Italiana Magazine . As part of their panel I was invited to participate in the Dish Your Blog With Delverde Pasta Recipe Challenge to win a trip to New York City. I was provided with samples of Delverde pasta to create an original recipe.*

My friend gave me two zucchini's from her garden a few weeks ago, and I plan to use one to make zucchini bread, but I wanted to do something different with the other one. Then my husband was told by our doctor that he needs to go on a diet ( he has high cholesterol but it was well controlled with medication), so I've been cooking a little healthier. My husband is a meat lover, though, and doesn't like it when I make vegetarian meals all that often. So I came up with this mostly healthy pasta dish one night this week, and we all loved it!

Turkey and Zucchini Pasta 

1 pound Mezzi rigatoni

1 ⅓ pound ground turkey

2 cups diced zucchini ( leave the skin on!)

½ cup diced onion

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1  24 ounce jar pasta sauce

1  14.5 can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded mozzarella

½ cups grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large rimmed pan, heat the olive oil. Brown the ground turkey in the olive oil, along with the diced onions. Once browned add in the garlic and diced zucchini and stir. Stir in the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water for 9 minutes, then drain. Do NOT rinse the pasta!

After 30 minutes, pour the ground turkey/sauce mixture into the pot with the drained, cooked pasta and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes to let the sauce penetrate the pasta. Stir in the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese just until the cheese is melted, and serve.