Cheesy Baked Turkey Penne
Published: December 7, 2020 | Last modified: July 29, 2023.
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Packed with lean protein and veggies, a rich tomato sauce, lots of fresh rosemary and sage and two types of cheese, this Cheesy Baked Turkey Penne is a super easy and delicious one pan meal the whole family LOVES!
This one is for all the cheesy baked pasta lovers out there.
Aside from boiling the pasta, everything is cooked in a cast iron skillet making it super easy to prepare and serve and clean-up is a breeze, too.
I like to make my own quick homemade tomato sauce but store-bought works well in a pinch.
Hearty and simple and sooo so good. *Side of crusty Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Artisan Bread non-negotiable.
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Cheesy Baked Turkey Penne
Makes 6-8 servings; prep time 30 minutes, bake time 25 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 lb (454 g) ground turkey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ white onion, chopped
1 large carrot, shredded
3 cups store-bought or homemade tomato sauce
1 lb penne pasta, cooked
280 g ricotta
150 g shredded mozzarella
Fresh rosemary and/or sage leaves to finish
Instructions:
Heat oil in a large cast iron pan on medium heat. Add turkey to pan and cook until it starts to brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165º. Reduce heat to medium-low and add onion and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce and let simmer until reduced (~10 minutes). Remove from heat.
While the sauce is cooking, cook pasta according to package instructions and preheat oven to 350°.
Transfer pasta to pan and stir into sauce until combined. Add ricotta by the spoonful throughout and sprinkle mozzarella across the top.
Bake for ~25 minutes at 350º until the cheese has melted. Transfer to serving bowls and enjoy!
Notes:
Cast iron pan/skillet: If you do not have an oven-safe pan any size baking dish(es) will do. Try dividing this recipe between two pans and freeze one for future dinners! Want to have this meal oven-ready in advance? Simply assemble your pan and cover with foil to keep pasta nice and moist and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Storage: Leftover pasta can kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen in a well-sealed container for up to 1 month.
