Turkey Pasta Casserole
At home, Thanksgiving is a big deal! It doesn’t matter if we have people over or if it’s just the two of us, I’ll go ahead and buy a big bird so I can have a mountain of leftover meat. As much as many out there try to avoid having any, I like to reuse it so I can make my favorite dishes like Turkey Noodle Soup, Pot Pies, Turkey à la King, Turkey Chili Tex-Mex Style, Turkey Croquettes, Turkey Zucchini Boats, etc.
I have a couple pasta dishes using this particular protein like Turkey Tetrazzini and this featured one… Turkey Pasta Casserole! This savory recipe is perfect for the fall season! It’s hearty and quite easy to make. Besides using cooked turkey, there are other great ingredients that really set this dish apart like pesto, Italian seasoning, peas, cheese, etc.
This is an uncomplicated meal to serve to your family. This Turkey Pasta Casserole is awesome to make when there’s a pile of leftover turkey sitting in your fridge as it uses 3 cups. With either penne or rigatoni, this is an incredible comfort food your family will enjoy.
Let’s talk about pasta… Here’s a little trick when the cooked pasta is done before using it for a recipe. After draining it, pour on a little bit of olive oil and gently toss. Repeat until the noodles are well coated to prevent them from sticking.
Don’t be afraid to cook a big turkey for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas because there are so many great recipes to use up your leftovers like this amazing savory Turkey Pasta Casserole! It’s a flavorful recipe to add to your folder and also a delicious change from what’s left in your fridge from that festive dinner…
Bon Appétit!
Here are more delicious recipes for you to try…
– Pumpkin Chili
– Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
– Eggplant Rollatini
– Cashew Chicken
– Italian Wedding Soup
– Coffee Beef Stew
– Fisherman’s Pie
and for even more pasta recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Pasta & Pizza
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Turkey Pasta Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp. coarse sea salt, or more to taste
- 12 oz. (about 3 cups) rigatoni or penne
- 1 tbsp. olive oil tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 cups onions, chopped
- 1 lb. button mushrooms, washed and quartered
- 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
- ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup basic pesto see Recipe
- 1 cup 35% heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning tips & tricks
- 3 cups cooked turkey, cubed see Recipe
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 tsp. red chili flakes, or to taste
- 3 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated and divided
- 1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, for garnish tips & tricks
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375º and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions minus 2 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute; season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add broth and basic pesto; stir to coat.
- Add heavy cream and season with Italian seasoning; bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Stir in cooked turkey and peas. Season with red pepper flakes; taste and adjust.
- Stir in the pasta with 2 cups of cheese.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and level it out before sprinkling on the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Cover with foil and transfer to the preheated oven; bake for 20 minutes.
- When time is up, we’ll remove from the heat, let it rest for 5 minutes before sprinkling on some fresh chopped parsley and serve.
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