Ground turkey pasta bake is an easy yet impressive meal that is cozy, comforting, and satisfying. Delicious rigatoni pasta is tossed in a rich meaty sauce loaded with lean turkey and mushrooms, topped with melty cheese, and baked to perfection. This casserole dinner is filling, flavorful, and feeds a crowd. Ready in just 45 minutes, it's a weeknight favorite that the whole family will love.
Why You’ll Love Ground Turkey Pasta Bake
- Delicious and flavorful. Ground turkey is a great protein to cook with because it's lean and a healthier alternative to beef. Plus, it soaks up flavors really well, and does not disappoint. Here it is made flavorful with veggies like onions and mushrooms, tossed in tomato sauce, well-seasoned, and topped with cheese.
- It’s a family-friendly meal. Quick, easy, and simple meals are what we are good at. This recipe takes 45 minutes from start to finish, but most of that time the pasta bake is in the oven. It takes just a few simple steps and a couple of pans for this well-rounded meal. Perfect for a lazy dinner that the whole family with love.
- A filling wholesome meal. There’s nothing better than being full after a meal, and this ground turkey pasta bake sure does the job. It has pasta, nutritious veggies, and a clean protein, leaving no one hungry.
Ingredients And Substitutions
To make this Ground Turkey Pasta Bake, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- pasta - I used rigatoni but any type of pasta will work. Use a shape that will hold in all that delicious sauce. Try penne, rotini, or shells.
- olive oil
- ground turkey
- mushrooms
- onion
- garlic
- tomato sauce
- balsamic vinegar
- seasoning - parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- cheddar cheese - I used marble cheddar cheese, but you can use yellow or white cheddar, or substitute with any melty cheese such as mozzarella or havarti.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a couple large pots, and a 9x13-inch casserole pan.
How To Make The Best Ground Turkey Pasta Bake
- Boil pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm) according to package directions, about 8-10 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Cook turkey. Meanwhile, heat oil in another large pot or 4 qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add ground turkey and cook for 8-10 minutes until browned evenly. Break the turkey into small pieces using a spatula.
- Make the sauce. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Mix well and sauté for 3-4 minutes until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and wine (or balsamic) and bring the meat sauce to a simmer. Stir in parsley and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cover the lid and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Simmering not only tenderizes the meat but also develops a richer flavor in the sauce.
- Toss in pasta. Toss in the cooked pasta and stir to combine until coated well with the meat sauce.
- Bake. Transfer into a 9x13-inch casserole pan, and sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Bake in a 375 F preheated oven for 25 minutes until the melted cheese is golden and browned. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil if the melted cheese starts to brown too much during baking.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overcook your pasta: If you like your pasta tender, you’re probably used to cooking it slightly past the package directions. Don’t do that for this recipe because the pasta will continue to cook, soaking up the sauce in the oven. To avoid mushy pasta, avoid overcooking initially.
- How to store: Allow the ground turkey pasta bake to cool to room temperature. Then, cover with plastic wrap or tin foil or transfer it into an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
- How to reheat: Reheat leftover ground turkey pasta bake in the microwave (covered on medium heat) or in a 375F preheated oven until warmed through. Cook time will vary depending on the amount. You can also reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened up too much in the refrigerator.
More Pasta Recipes
- 40 Best Pasta Recipes
- Pasta Bake with Sausage (Baked Ziti)
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Turkey Tetrazzini with Spinach
- Mascarpone Pesto Pasta
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Spaghetti Bolognese
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Recipe
Ground Turkey Pasta Bake
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
Ground turkey pasta bake is an easy yet impressive meal that is cozy, comforting, and satisfying. A family-friendly casserole dinner ready in 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. rigatoni pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 (13.5 oz.) cans tomato sauce (3.5 cups)
- 2 tablespoons red or white wine or balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 3 cups cheddar cheese (or fresh mozzarella cheese), shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm) according to package directions, about 8-10 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot or 4 qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add ground turkey and cook for 8-10 minutes until browned evenly. Break the turkey into small pieces using a spatula.
- Add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Mix well and sauté for 3-4 minutes until tender
- Stir in tomato sauce and wine (or balsamic) and bring the meat sauce to a simmer. Stir in parsley and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cover the lid and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Simmering not only tenderizes the meat but also develops a richer flavor in the sauce.
- Toss in the cooked pasta and stir to combine until coated well with the meat sauce. Transfer into a 9x13-inch casserole pan, and sprinkle cheese evenly on top.
- Bake the pasta casserole for 25 minutes until the melted cheese is golden and browned. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil if the melted cheese starts to brown too much during baking.
Notes
Don’t overcook your pasta: If you like your pasta tender, you’re probably used to cooking it slightly past the package directions. Don’t do that for this recipe because the pasta will continue to cook, soaking up the sauce in the oven. To avoid mushy pasta, avoid overcooking initially.
How to store: Allow the ground turkey pasta bake to cool to room temperature. Then, cover with plastic wrap or tin foil or transfer it into an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
How to reheat: Reheat leftover ground turkey pasta bake in the microwave (covered on medium heat) or in a 375F preheated oven until warmed through. Cook time will vary depending on the amount. You can also reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened up too much in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
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Cathy Bumgardner says
This recipe comes with a lot of flavor! The recipe is written really well, uses normal ingredients, and easy step by step instructions.
The only deviation was the amount of noodles I made, 8 oz fewer, just due to pot size. Sure loved the ease of this recipe, and as my husband wanted to eat it sooner than later, we added the cheese into Dutch oven mixture than putting into the oven.
It was delicious! 5☆☆☆☆☆ all the way!
Richard T says
This is a great one, Sam. I added the equivalent of a whole can of kidney beans, boosting the pasta to match, and it went down very well. With plenty left over.
At the cost of a little extra craziness, I managed to have the pasta ready just-in-time rather than cool it after cooking. So I felt safe about shortening the bake time. I also stirred about 1/3 of the mozzarella into the meat mixture ... can't remember what the recipe said about that but it somehow felt right.
Natasha Moss says
This was delicious, I made sure the pasta was still a little hard when going in the oven, cremini mushrooms and some hot pepper flakes. This will be a new favorite.