Here’s a tasty one pan meal that’s quick & easy, with layered pasta, ricotta cheese and ground turkey. This Ground Turkey Pasta Bake Recipe is ready in about 30 minutes!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Here’s a recipe I’m really excited about because aren’t we always on the lookout for quick dinner no matter the day of the week for the whole family? This ground turkey pasta recipe has a really good flavor, and it’s quick. This is an easy recipe too!
Here’s a few good reasons to make it:
- As pasta dishes go, this is incredible because it’s a one-dish meal. It’s “baked” in the skillet – no large pot of boiling water needed – and the whole thing takes about 30 minutes. Make this next time you crave a cheesy lasagne but are short on time.
- “Yay” for the fact that this skillet lasagne uses uncooked pasta sheets that are broken and cooked directly in a quick sauce!
- This is such an easy dinner, I hope you’ll make it on repeat.
- Some of my other favorite pastas to bookmark for later – this incredibly delish pasta with chicken sausage (one of my most popular recipes) and sausage ravioli. Both are good choices if you’re craving a warm, cheesy baked pasta recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the full recipe and list of instructions and ingredients, please scroll to the recipe card below.
- Lean Ground Turkey: Lean turkey is easy to find at the grocery store, and easy to work with!
- Ricotta Cheese: We’ll make a creamy cheese mixture for that lasagne-like taste.
- Shallots: Chopped fine so they disappear into the sauce, these are a little sweeter and milder than a white onion.
- Tomato: A nice big jar of crushed tomatoes for the marinara sauce is what we need.
- Pasta Sheets: Also known as No Boil Lasagne (pasta) sheets, we’ll be breaking these up into the sauce and sit back to watch the magic happen.
- Fresh Basil: We love fresh herbs, especially Italian Parsley and basil.
- Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flake, Olive Oil: Flavorings we can’t do without here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’ll walk you through the easy steps of this recipe next, but note that the full recipe and list of instructions can be found by scrolling to the recipe card below.
Step One and Two:
- Chop the shallot into a small dice, and add it with olive oil in a large skillet, non-stick.
- Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until barely brown on the edges. This is where the flavor lives.
Step Three:
3. Next, brown the ground turkey and seasonings with the shallots, and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Step Four:
4. Next, the tomato sauce goes in. Just a perfect meat sauce, that’s definitely starting to look like dinner.
Step Five:
5. Yes, these are the small pieces of broken up no-boil pasta sheets in the sauce. Yes, they look strange, don’t worry!
Step Six:
6. See? SO much better with the pasta mixed in a bit with the ground turkey and tomato sauce. The big takeaway here is to make sure you’ve got the pasta submerged as much as possible in the sauce. It’s okay if some pasta are sticking out, like in the photo above.
Cover the skillet, and cook on medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked just enough to retain it’s texture (al dente).
Step Seven
7. Cooked! This is what it’ll look like after 15 minutes of cooking time. Saucy and fragrant, but the best is yet to come.
Step Eight
8. We add spoonfuls of ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese, plus fresh parsley & basil, then put the lid back on for a few minutes to let the whole thing get melt together. Remove the lid, add a drizzle of olive oil. Wow and yum.
That’s quick for one of your upcoming family dinners, right? I mean, whoever came up with the idea of cooking pasta directly in the sauce is an absolute genius, don’t you think?
Tips and Serving Ideas
- You’ll need a cup of water for the tomato sauce, but you could add even more flavor and use chicken or vegetable broth instead.
- I used fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, which adds a little bit of smoky flavor that is quite tasty.
- If your pasta sauce seems a little watery after the 15 minute cooking time, leave the lid off and continue to let it simmer for a few minutes to let that evaporate out. Then add the cheeses, put the cover back on, and let it sit, melt and heat through.
- Love a fresh, simple salad with your pasta? Most of us do, and this Blackberry Goat Cheese Salad is a very good place to start. This Italian Green Bean Salad is also super popular, so is this Simple Celery Salad, are great choices. Same goes for this fresh and pretty Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with lots of fresh asparagus and a tangy fresh lemon vinaigrette.
- Dessert of some kind is almost mandatory, so think about doing something easy, like these absolute best Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispy Treats. I don’t want to brag, but I’m kind of rice krispy treat expert, so definitely check these out.
- Another easy idea is some fabulous chocolate dipped strawberries, and you can make them as simple or fancy as you feel like!
- Or take a look at these delicious apple dessert recipes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Try lean ground beef, chicken or veggie crumbles in this recipe.
An airtight container is the best bet, and this pasta dish will be fine for a a day or two refrigerated.
Nope. For this recipe, the noodles will cook together with the sauce. Easy!
More Recipes To Try:
- Turkey Burger Sliders Recipe: Fun little turkey burgers that everyone loves!
- Taco Pie with Crescent Rolls: An easy and delicious dinner recipe.
- Shortcut Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits: An easy and cozy dinner recipe.
- One Pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta Recipe: An easy, tasty weeknight dinner.
- Italian Greens and Beans Recipe with Escarole: Comfort food at its finest!
- Tin Foil Baked Chicken: Easy and super delicious, healthy too!
- Baked Potatoes and Broccoli: These stuffed potatoes are amazing!
- Summer Pasta: An all-time favorite!
- Skillet Taco Bake: Yum is the word for this quick & easy dinner or appetizer!
- Turkey Burgers with Cranberry: Moist and delicious, the cranberry makes it special
- Chicken Sausage and Vegetable Skillet: A tasty, hearty recipe that everyone loves.
- Baked Chicken Marsala Recipe: A classic!
If you’ve made the Ground Turkey Pasta Bake Recipe or any other recipe on Studio Delicious, please leave a 5 star rating in the recipe card, and tell me how you like it in the comments below!
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Ground Turkey Pasta Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 small Shallot, diced
- 1 pound Turkey, ground
- ½ teaspoon Salt Diamond Crystal preferred
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ teaspoon Pepper, freshly ground
- 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 28 ounce Crushed Tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 cup Water or Chicken or Vegetable broth
- 6 ounces No Bake Pasta (lasagne) Sheets, broken into thirds About 9 sheets
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese, part skim
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, low moisture variety Not fresh mozzarella in brine.
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, ground
- 2 tablespoons Basil, fresh, torn
- 2 tablespoons Italian Parsley, minced
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, to garnish
Instructions
- Add the one tablespoon of the olive oil to a large non-stick skillet with the chopped shallot. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes, until the shallots are very lightly brown on the edges. Add the ground turkey along with the salt, red pepper flakes, ground pepper, and garlic. Cook on medium-high heat, breaking up the turkey as it cooks with a wooden spoon until the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the can of tomatoes to the turkey mixture, as well as the oregano. Add one cup of water (or broth, if using). Stir the mixture together to combine.
- Break the pasta sheets into thirds, then add to the pot, making sure you've submerged them (as best you can) in the tomato sauce. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook on medium high heat for approximately 15 minutes until the pasta is cooked. If the pasta seems watery when you remove the lid, move the mixture around a bit with your spoon to make sure the sauce is evenly distributed throughout the skillet. If needed, let it continue to cook for a few minutes with the lid off to let some of the liquid to evaporate.
- Drop a spoonful of the ricotta cheese to the four quadrants of the skillet, then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top, followed by the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on the fresh basil and parsley, cover with the lid and let it sit on medium heat until the cheese has melted, about 3-4 minutes. Garnish with the olive oil and serve.
Notes
- You’ll need a cup of water for the tomato sauce, but you could add even more flavor and use chicken or vegetable broth instead.
- I used fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, which add a little bit of smoky flavor that was quite tasty.
- If your sauce seems a little watery after the 15 minute cooking time, leave the lid off and continue to let it simmer for a few minutes to let that evaporate out. Then add the cheeses, put the cover back on, and let it sit, melt and heat through.
Nutrition
- Super important to read the whole recipe before you begin
- Pay attention to the ingredient list and photos for the recipe
- If possible, prep your ingredients a little before you start
- Always use a sharp knife for safety
- Use the size of pan called for in the recipe
- For savory recipes, taste and season as you go
- Buy fresh, organic ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible
Please rate this recipe and thanks for leaving a comment!