This simple Floor Turkey Pasta Bake is loaded with lean floor turkey, hearty pasta, and contemporary veggies, and smothered in a deliciously gentle creamy sauce.
Why We Love This Recipe For Floor Turkey Pasta Bake
Everybody loves a very good pasta bake! They’re so easy to whip collectively, they feed a crowd (this one serves 8) and they are often made forward. So they’re good for meal prep, entertaining or for Sunday Supper.
Sometimes pasta bakes are made with tomato sauce or pasta sauce, like our Veggie Pasta Bake, however this floor turkey pasta casserole I’m sharing at this time is a dreamy new cream sauce variation you gained’t need to miss!
It’s loaded with lean floor turkey, hearty pasta, and plenty of veggies. Then the whole lot then will get smothered in a lighter but oh-so-flavorful sherry and Parmesan cream sauce. After which after all it’s baked as much as golden perfection with tacky goodness on prime.
What Makes This Floor Turkey Casserole Wholesome
- Made with lean floor turkey which is low in saturated fats
- Loaded with additional veggies for decrease calorie quantity and bulk and added vitamins
- The sunshine cream sauce is made with milk and Greek yogurt as an alternative of heavy cream which helps to maintain the energy and saturated fats in verify
- Just one as soon as of pasta per serving to assist steadiness the carbohydrates with the opposite macronutrients
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: I like to make use of rigatoni or ziti, however one other small pasta form will work superb.
- Floor Turkey: Be happy to make use of any stage of leanness of floor turkey, relying in your desire. Word: some packages are 1 pound whereas others are 20 ounces – both measurement will work for this recipe. Simply bear in mind that there shall be much less protein within the dish if utilizing 20 ounces.
- Greens: We loaded this pasta bake with all kinds of veggies for added vitamin and to make it a whole meal. We used a mixture of Mushrooms, Carrots, Peas and Diced Onions.
- Cheese: We used Parmesan cheese within the cream sauce then topped the casserole in Fontina which is a superb melting cheese.
- Greek Yogurt: We used full-fat plain Greek yogurt so as to add some richness to our cream sauce however be at liberty to make use of reduced-fat or fat-free in case you’d like to avoid wasting much more on the energy. Gentle bitter cream would even be a beautiful swap-in in case you’d want.
- Pantry Staples: Flour (to thicken), hen broth (or chicken stock) and milk
- Seasoning: Garlic, Salt, black pepper, Sage and thyme
- Sherry: To deglaze the saute. You may as well use white wine or just a bit broth as an alternative.
How To Make Turkey Pasta Bake
Step 1: Cook dinner the Pasta
In a big pot or Dutch oven, boil salted water. Add pasta and prepare dinner in response to the package deal instructions till simply al dente. Make sure that to not prepare dinner pasta too lengthy, as it would proceed to prepare dinner within the creamy sauce. Drain and maintain heat within the pot.
Step 2: Put together Casserole Dish
Whereas the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F. Put together a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Put aside.
Step 3: Brown Turkey
In a big non-stick skillet, warmth 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high warmth. Add turkey and prepare dinner till browned and now not pink. Switch turkey and juices from the skillet right into a bowl and canopy with foil to maintain heat.
Step 4: Saute Veggies
Utilizing the identical giant skillet, warmth the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high warmth. Add within the carrots, garlic, onion, contemporary mushrooms, thyme, sage, pepper, and 1 ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook dinner till tender, stirring usually. If utilizing, add in sherry, and stir till it’s evaporated.
Step 5: Sprinkle within the Flour
To the veggie combination, sprinkle within the flour and stir till fully dissolved.
Step 6: Make the Sauce
To the skillet, stir in broth and milk. Return turkey and juices to skillet. Convey to a simmer whereas constantly stirring. Simmer till the sauce has thickened. Take away from warmth.
Step 7: Add in Greek Yogurt
Stir in Greek yogurt till easy.
Step 8: Create the Bake
To the pot with the pasta, add the sauce, turkey meat sauce, peas, and Parmesan. Combine to mix.
Step 9: Switch to Ready Casserole Dish
Switch the turkey pasta combination to the casserole dish.
Step 10: End and Bake
High with shredded Fontina. Bake for 10 to fifteen minutes or till the sauce is effervescent and the cheese is melted. Serve and luxuriate in!
FAQs and Knowledgeable Ideas For This Turkey Pasta Casserole Recipe
Leftovers: Retailer any leftover casserole in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
Reheating: Place leftovers in a microwavable bowl, cowl, and heat on medium warmth, or place in an oven-safe container and place within the oven at 375°F till warmed by way of.
Freezing: Assemble by way of step 9 however omit the cheese, and canopy with plastic wrap and aluminum foil – heavy-duty foil is greatest for freezing. Freeze for as much as 6 weeks. When able to take pleasure in, take away the wrap and canopy it with foil. Bake for 90 to 95 minutes, till heated by way of (verify with a digital thermometer). Take away foil, prime with cheese, and proceed baking as directed in step 10.
Make Forward: Put together by way of step 9 as much as 2 days prematurely. Cowl with foil and refrigerate. Bake lined till scorching right through, effervescent alongside the perimeters; 50 to 55 minutes. Take away the foil and proceed with step 10.
To Make Gluten-free
You’ll be able to sub in gluten-free pasta (we like brown rice pasta greatest for casseroles and lasagna.) Make sure that to not overcook it within the boiling step as it would get softer when it bakes within the sauce. Use gluten-free flour (with out coconut) to thicken the sauce.
What goes with turkey pasta bake?
- We wish to spherical out this creamy, comforting casserole with a shiny, contemporary salad. We are likely to pair this dish with our Lacianto Kale Caesar, Napa Cabbage Caesar, or a conventional Caesar salad utilizing crisp romaine and gown it with our Egg Free Caesar Dressing and homemade croutons!
- If Caesar isn’t your factor, no worries! It’s a straightforward dinner when paired with a easy Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad or Beet Green Salad. The brilliant and acidic flavors of each these salads would completely complement the wealthy, creamy sauce of this pasta bake.
- And at last, regardless of in case you take pleasure in this turkey pasta bake with a facet salad or not, we at all times advocate serving it with a chunk of crusty bread or a slice or two of our 1-hour home made whole wheat bread for one hearty and filling household meal!
Variations To Attempt
One cause we love this creamy pasta bake is how versatile it’s! Be happy to alter up the casserole with the next:
- For added vitamins, combine in spinach. Be happy to make use of both frozen that’s been squeezed dry or contemporary that’s been wilted earlier than including it to the veggie saute
- Stir in chopped kale with the greens
- Not a fan of floor turkey? Attempt swapping for one more lean protein equivalent to floor hen or amp up the flavour with a candy Italian turkey sausage
- Use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving for one fully totally different and satisfying meal
- To make this gluten-free, use your favourite gluten-free flour and pasta
- So as to add extra fiber, use a whole-wheat pasta
- As an alternative of floor turkey breast, you can also make leftover turkey pasta baked with shredded leftover Thanksgiving turkey too!
Further Floor Turkey Recipes To Attempt
Thanks a lot for studying! In case you are new right here, it’s your decision to join my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the most recent recipes proper to your inbox. Should you make this recipe, please come again and go away a star score and evaluate. I might love to listen to what you thought!
Completely satisfied Cooking! ~Katie
Description
This Floor Turkey Pasta Bake is loaded with lean floor turkey, hearty pasta, contemporary veggies, and deliciously creamy sauce.
- 8 ounces ziti or rigatoni pasta
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, plus extra for pasta cooking water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound floor turkey
- 2 giant carrots, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 yellow or candy onion diced
- 10 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- Freshly floor pepper to style
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry, non-obligatory
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cup hen broth, hen inventory or turkey broth
- 1 cups milk
- 1 cup full-fat plan Greek yogurt or gentle bitter cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 cups shredded Fontina or Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounces)
- Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and prepare dinner in response to package deal directions till simply al dente. Drain and maintain heat within the pot.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Warmth 1 tablespoon oil in a big non-stick skillet over medium-high. Add turkey and prepare dinner, breaking apart with a picket spoon till browned and cooked by way of, 6 to eight minutes. Scrape the turkey and any juices from the skillet right into a bowl and canopy with foil to maintain heat.
- Return the skillet to medium-high warmth and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add carrots, garlic, onion, mushroom, thyme, sage, pepper, and 1 ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook dinner, stirring usually till the veggies are softened and browning, about 10 minutes. Add in sherry, if utilizing, and stir till it’s evaporated about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour over the veggie combination, and stir till fully dissolved.
- Pour in broth and milk whereas stirring. Add within the turkey and any juices from the bowl. Convey to a simmer, stirring usually. Simmer till the sauce is thickened, about 4 minutes. Take away from the warmth.
- Stir in Greek yogurt (or bitter cream) till easy.
- Mix the pasta, sauce, turkey, peas, and Parmesan within the pasta pot and stir to combine.
- Switch the turkey pasta combination to the casserole dish.
- High with Fontina. Bake till the sauce is effervescent and the cheese is melted 10 to fifteen minutes.
Notes
Make Forward: Put together by way of step 9 as much as 2 days prematurely. Cowl with foil and refrigerate. Bake lined till scorching right through and effervescent alongside the perimeters, 50 to 55 minutes. Take away the foil and proceed with step 10.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 20 minutes
- Class: Principal Course
- Methodology: Baked
- Delicacies: American
Vitamin
- Serving Dimension: 1 ¼ cup
- Energy: 480
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fats: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 36 g
Key phrases: Floor turkey pasta bake, turkey pasta bake, baked pasta with floor turkey, floor turkey pasta casserole, turkey pasta casserole, creamy pasta bake
Concerning the Writer
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied artwork and pictures at Skidmore School and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been knowledgeable recipe developer since 2001 when she first began working within the check kitchen at EatingWell journal. Her recipes have been featured in quite a few magazines together with Form, Health, Dad and mom and several other Edible Communities publications amongst others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was revealed in 2015. She launched Wholesome Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont together with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, yow will discover her on the fitness center, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial backyard.
