Ground Turkey Pasta Bake is a family friendly casserole made with ground turkey, pasta, kale, and a light sprinkling of bubbly melty cheese. This is an easy restaurant-quality
dinner made with kitchen staples!
We also love this ground turkey and broccoli pasta, Big Mac casserole and healthy hamburger helper!
Table of Contents
This ground turkey pasta bake is an updated version of my tried and true, kid-friendly casserole recipe. I originally posted this recipe back in 2017, and it has been a reader favorite since then!
As I am more experienced cook now, with just a few tweaks and this comfort food dish has become even more amazing! Layers of flavors that pair so well with a salad and a glass of red wine!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A quick weeknight meal: This turkey pasta bake comes together in under 1 hour and prep is very easy despite a longer list of ingredients.
- Wholesome and delicious: It smells amazing and will have everyone running to the table. It’s also full of whole foods and nutrient-dense ingredients!
- It’s freezer-friendly: This means you can make an entire casserole and freeze it for later or share it with a neighbor!
- Kids love it: I mean, who wouldn’t love pasta baked in all of that meaty, cheesy, saucy, goodness?! Another must-try is this Tuscan chicken pasta.
- Flexible recipe: Swap out ingredients or omit some completely. Make this dish suitable to your tastes and adjust any seasonings.
- Cost-effective: It’s a great way to serve your family on a budget! It’s casual enough for a weeknight meal but also great for serving guests without breaking the bank.
Ingredients for Ground Turkey Pasta Bake
This pasta recipe consists of simple ingredients. Don’t let the long list discourage you!
- Pasta: White pasta, whole wheat pasta, or gluten-free pasta works. Use whichever pasta shapes you like, but medium-sized pasta works best like fusilli, rotini, or penne. Spaghetti won’t work as well. Whole grain pasta is a healthier choice as it has more fiber and nutrients than white pasta does.
- Ground turkey: Ground turkey meat, chicken, beef, or pork would be OK. I prefer to use lean ground turkey.
- Greens: I use kale which is a nutritional powerhouse full of fiber, iron, and antioxidants. I can see how this ground turkey recipe would be a perfect candidate for adding in that spinach that’s on the verge of going bad in your fridge. Frozen is fine too.
- Tomato sauce: I am using plain low sodium tomato sauce from a can. If yours is not low sodium, add less salt.
- Cheese: Mozzarella cheese is what I use, but you can go ahead and use your favorite. I recommend shredding your own as it melts better than the pre-shredded packaged stuff.
- Onion, garlic, dried herbs: Aromatics and herbs add flavour without adding too many calories. Oregano, rosemary, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper is all you need. See FAQs on how to substitute fresh herbs.
- Sweetener: Any natural sweetener will work. Honey or maple syrup are my go-to, along with balsamic vinegar. It helps to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes.
How to Make Ground Turkey Pasta Bake
Here is a quick overview of how to make this turkey pasta bake. Cook pasta, make meat sauce, combine and bake. That’s it!
- Cook pasta to al dente in a pot as per package directions, but undercooking by 4 minutes. The pasta will continue to cook while it’s baking in the oven, so undercooking it a bit will help to avoid overcooked, mushy pasta. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Cook veggies and turkey: Saute the onion and garlic for 2 – 3 minutes. Add oregano, rosemary, basil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring a few times. Add the ground turkey and cook for another 5-7 minutes, breaking meat into pieces and stirring occasionally.
- Make meat sauce: Add the tomato sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar, and pasta water. Stir, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add kale and stir to combine. Now, add cooked pasta and stir to combine even more. Leafy greens wilt in residual heat and they don’t need much time to cook.
- Combine pasta with meat sauce: This is why cooking everything in a large skillet makes life easier. It’s a lot! Transfer half of the mixture to the baking dish, sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese, add remaining mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 cups cheese.
- Bake the casserole: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Tips for Best Results
- Use a pasta that has crevices that can hold the sauce. It’s so good when you bite into that!
- To make this a one pot meal, use a cast-iron Dutch oven that can be transferred directly into the oven from the stove.
- Skip the oven if you’re not interested in the baked part of it, and would like to keep it a traditional pasta dish. Cook pasta to al dente and combine on the stovetop.
- Don’t forget to spray the casserole dish before transferring pasta in there. It can stick to the bottom otherwise.
- Allow it to rest before serving. Allow the flavors to meld together and the juices settle a bit so it’s not a sloppy mess when serving.
- Freshly grated cheese is highly recommended! If you’ve ever wondered why packaged shredded cheese is never clumpy and pours out of the bag without issue it’s because there are additives in there used as anti-clumping agents. This stops it from clumping, but also from melting nicely.
Optional Add-In’s and Variations
- Use jarred marinara sauce with its own seasonings to allow for a bit more convenience and aid in cutting down on the ingredients list. We love Rao’s marinara for store-bought sauce!
- Leftover sauce: Homemade meat sauce or homemade marinara sauce could be used instead!
- Swap the mozzarella for a sharp cheddar cheese or use a bit of both.
- Omit red pepper flakes to reduce heat.
- Add more veggies like broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, or carrots. Swap the vegetables to adapt this ground turkey pasta bake to your family’s taste!
Serving Recommendations
Let the casserole sit covered for about 10 minutes after baking. It is a general rule with all bakes, to allow flavors to marry each other.
Serve hot garnished with parsley, if desired. It serves 6 people very generously and 8 people with a side of a Caesar salad.
Here are simple and quick side dishes that will go well with it:
How to Store and Reheat
Freeze leftovers: Bake first, allow it to cool and then transfer it to a plastic or glass airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Freeze unbaked: Assemble the bake, wrap it tightly with a layer of plastic, and then a layer of aluminum foil on top. When you’re ready to eat, allow it to thaw on a counter for 30 minutes to prevent the dish from shattering in the oven. Bake from frozen, increasing the baking time by 15 – 20 minutes.
So convenient! I remember when I was pregnant, I stocked my freezer with healthy freezer meals, and they helped a lot once the baby arrived. This is the genius about freezer-friendly casseroles. They also come in handy for preparing to help sick loved ones, an elderly neighbor, or a last-minute dish for a potluck!
Reheat: Best would be in a microwave to prevent casserole from drying out.
How to Make Ahead
If you don’t want to freeze the casserole you can assemble and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Don’t forget to cover it with plastic wrap while it’s in the fridge. Remove the wrap and then bake as per recipe.
FAQs
Kale is my favorite to use in this ground turkey pasta bake recipe but by all means use spinach. You could opt for collard greens or Swiss chard. Keep in mind they are slightly more bitter but loaded with nutrients.
Using holiday leftovers like bone in turkey breast would be a great idea! Whether it’s traditionally oven-roasted, or smoked, it would be great in this dish. The same goes for any leftover baked chicken breast.
Swap out ground turkey for ground chicken or ground beef. There are no major changes to the recipe, except to consider that beef will have more fat which you may want to drain. The dish will also have a different flavor but each one is just as good!
Yes. The only two things I recommend when looking for different shapes is that it’s a small to medium size and the more crevices the better. Fusilli, elbow, penne rigate, bow tie, pasta shells, etc.
More Pasta and Turkey Recipes
- No boil pasta bake
- Ground turkey spaghetti squash casserole
- One pot turkey tetrazzini
- Ground turkey quinoa casserole
- Easy spaghetti recipe
Ground Turkey Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey extra lean
- 3 cups whole wheat penne or fusilli pasta uncooked (10 ounces)
- 4 – 5 cups kale stems removed & chopped
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 28 ounces tomato sauce low sodium
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup pasta water
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded & divided (6 ounces)
- 1/3 cup Italian parsley chopped
- Cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente as per package instructions, undercooking by 4 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In the meanwhile, preheat large skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oregano, rosemary, basil, pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring a few times. Add ground turkey and cook for another 5-7 minutes, breaking meat into pieces and stirring occasionally.
- Add tomato sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar and pasta water. Stir, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Add kale and stir to combine.
- Now add cooked pasta and stir to combine more.
- Transfer half of the mixture in previously prepared baking dish and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Add remaining pasta meat mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, let stand for 10 minutes, garnish with parsley and serve hot. With a glass of red wine. OMG, so good!
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in microwave.
- Make ahead: If you don’t want to freeze, assemble and refrigerate casserole for up to 24 hours. Don’t forget to cover with plastic wrap and then bake as per recipe.
- Freeze leftovers: Bake, cool and transfer to plastic or glass airtight containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freeze unbaked: Assemble the casserole, wrap tightly with plastic and aluminum foil on top. When ready to eat, warm up on a counter for 30 minutes to prevent dish from shattering in the oven. Bake from frozen increasing baking time by 15 – 20 minutes.
- More protein: You can use 2 pounds of ground turkey to up the protein. Also ground chicken works or ground beef.
- Greens: Spinach can be substituted for kale.
- Pasta: White, whole wheat or gluten free pasta works. You want pasta to be short and with crevices to scoop up the sauce.
- Sodium content: Reduce sodium if using regular and not low sodium tomato sauce.
This was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, while making the sugggested swap of white sharp cheddar for the mozzarella…highly recommended. Will definitely make again. Thank you for sharing!
can i substitute asparagas for the kale?????
Sure.
Good, easy and smells amazing while it cooks! Our very picky 7 year old even ate a whole bowl. 🙂 I used protein pasta and crushed tomatoes in puree since we were out of tomato sauce. We were also out of kale, so I opted to serve salads on the side. Next time I may double the sauce to freeze a batch for later!
This is a delicious recipe. It was easy to divide the ingredients in half to make 4 servings. I used green rotini, substituted fresh herbs and used passata because I didn’t have tomato sauce. I omitted the red pepper flakes but next time I think I’ll add some fresh sweet red pepper in with the onions and garlic. I made this with kale and used a mozzarella and cheddar mix. The only thing I didn’t have on hand was the Italian parsley. Very yummy, easy recipe that I’ll be making again.
Oldest substitution sound amazing, I love passata! This is very forgiving casserole as long as you follow the guideline and liquids amount ratio.
What a delicious dish! Subbed spinach for kale, but otherwise kept to the recipe. So yummy!
Spinach is delicious in this dish as well. Glad you loved it!
Ok I make a pasta dish every week and if I could do this one every time without getting eventually tired of it I so would!! So so good. I didn’t have the kale or spinach but it still turned out great. Highly recommend.
Delicious. Several tweeks because we were out of Kale- used it all in a soup- no spinach in the house, currently. My beet tops I had just tossed to the chickens. I was thinking I wouldn’t be able to use them in time! Still delicious. Great seasoning combination. I was afraid the Balsamic Vinegar would be too strong and I usually skip all sweetener, but decided to give it a try with maple syrup. It balanced out nicely. Also, out of mozzarella- made pizza- so used the muenster cheese to substitute. Nice to have a flexible recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you loved it and made it your own.
This is absolutely amazing! I’ve made it several times and realized I hadn’t posted a comment. My folks love it as well. I sub spinach for kale and use 28 ounces of diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. Love how easy this recipe is and versatile on what type of pasta you use. Tonight it is bowtie. 🙂
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback! Love bow ties!
Can you use pasta sauce instead of tomato sauce? I couldn’t find any. Should I omit the balsamic vinegar and the honey if I do that?
Yes, sure. Yes no need for many spices and seasonings then but you can always add more to taste at the end.
Amazing dish the whole family loves. We use spinach instead of kale.
I’m so happy to hear this!
I can’t possibly love this recipe MORE!!!! Perfect, no tweaks on my end other than I used Medium Shell pasta (I couldn’t get the Penne) & I did not cover it for the 20 minutes in the oven and it came out perfect!!!!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
This recipe is so easy to cook and assemble. The first time I made it with the kale but the second time I had spinach I needed to use. Both were delicious and my family loved it. I also added a little parm in the middle (about 1/4 cup) this added another layer of flavor and quote tasty! Tha k you for sharing.
Sounds fantastic with the parmesan layer inside, Carol!