Easy Cheesy Baked Turkey Penne
For nights when you’re craving cozy Italian and fresh summer flavours, too. This Easy Cheesy Baked Turkey Penne is made with lots of lean protein and veggies, a rich tomato sauce and two types of cheese. A super easy and delicious one pan meal the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ onion chopped
- 1 large carrot shredded
- 3 cups store-bought or homemade tomato sauce
- 1 lb penne pasta cooked
- 1 cup ricotta
- 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella
- Fresh rosemary or basil 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 165ºF (75ºC), breaking it up as you go.
- 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°F (177ºC).
- Transfer pasta to pan and stir into sauce until combined. Add ricotta by the spoonful throughout and sprinkle mozzarella across the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese has melted. Transfer to serving bowls, top with fresh herbs and enjoy!
Notes
Make ahead: To have this meal oven-ready in advance, simply assemble your pan and cover with foil to keep the pasta nice and moist then refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you're ready for dinner, just let the pan sit on your counter for 15 minutes to take the chill off before popping it into the oven to bake until golden and bubbly.
Storage: Leftover pasta will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Wrap uncooked assembled pasta tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Let thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight before baking.