Satisfying family dinners don't get much easier than this No Boil Turkey Pasta Bake!
Article Summary:
Cheesy, saucy, hearty, and totally simple to make, this no boil pasta recipe will be a hit on your dinner table! Make this recipe your own by using your favorite marinara sauce and substituting ground beef, elk, chicken, or more for the ground turkey. Read on to learn how to make the recipe, read common questions and answers, and more!
Table of contents
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Come away with me to a world where dinner is comforting, delicious, and so simple to make! The type of dinner that everyone at the table loves. This cheesy pasta bake is ready in just a few simple steps, involves absolutely no pasta boiling, and tastes like something grandma would've made!
Let's chat about this easy pasta bake:
- Approachable: with easy-to-find ingredients, no complicated steps, and flavors that almost everyone loves, this recipe is easy to make any day of the week. I've made it for busy Tuesday nights (pop it in the oven while I wrap up work for the day!) and I've entertained with it for family dinners.
- Simple: but not lacking in flavor. Even though this isn't a true one pot recipe (because of the ground meat), it is not overly complicated or difficult. Sautéing the turkey is done in less than 10 minutes and the rest is a cinch. Just stir the turkey and pasta into the sauce and bake!
- Comforting: serve up this oven pasta bake on a chilly fall or winter evening. The savory traditional flavors bring warmth inside and out every time. It's satisfying and cozy without being heavy or food coma-inducing, thanks to the fresh mozzarella and leaner ground turkey.
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This easy pasta bake is...
- Hearty
- Cheesy
- Saucy
- Meaty
- Savory
- Satisfying
All while being ready in under 45 minutes and made in a few simple steps. It's a recipe that everyone will love!
Ingredients:
- Ground turkey - for best flavor, look for turkey that is 93% lean or less
- Dried linguine pasta
- Marinara sauce - your favorite brand and flavor
- Low-sodium chicken broth - regular (non-reduced sodium) chicken broth also works; just reduce the salt in the recipe to ⅛ teaspoon
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Onion
- Olive oil
- Dried basil
- Salt
Substitutions:
- Ground meat - you can easily make a pasta bake with ground beef by substituting ground beef for the turkey. Ground elk, bison, chicken, and even bulk sweet or hot Italian sauce also work great!
- Pasta - dried spaghetti and fettuccine can substitute for the linguine.
- Broth - low-sodium vegetable broth can replace the chicken broth.
- Cheese - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese can work in place of the fresh mozzarella, but fresh mozzarella offers a superior texture and flavor if you can find it.
How to make no boil oven baked pasta...
- Preheat the oven.
- Sauté onions and ground turkey in a large skillet until cooked through.
- Season the turkey with basil, minced garlic, and salt.
- Add the pasta sauce and chicken broth to the ground meat. Stir until combined.
- Place the pasta in the bottom of a 8 x 13-inch baking pan.
- Pour the turkey and pasta mixture over the pasta. Gently nudge the pasta around in the mixture until it's evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle cubes of fresh mozzarella on the pasta.
- Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake.
- Remove the aluminum foil and broil the pasta until bubbly and golden brown.
- Rest the baked pasta at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, or until the extra sauce have absorbed. Enjoy!
Recipe pro-tips:
- Let the pasta bake rest before serving. This will help any remaining pasta sauce absorb into the pasta.
- Cook the turkey through. Even though the meat will cook further in the oven, it will provide the best texture and flavor if cooked through thoroughly on the stove top first.
- Watch the pasta carefully as it broils, as individual broilers differ in their strength. Remove the bake from the oven as soon as the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Make this oven pasta bake your own. Use your favorite bottled marinara sauce, preferred ground meat, and pasta of choice. If you like spicy pasta sauce or vodka sauce, use it. If you want more complex seasoning, you can substitute Italian seasoning blend for the dried basil. If you're a sucker for Italian sausage, use that in place of the ground turkey!
- To double the recipe, simply double the ingredients and follow the steps as directed, dividing the pasta sauce and pasta between two 8 x 13-inch baking dishes before baking.
Recipe Q & A:
No, you do not need to boil pasta for baking. In fact, if it is baked with sufficient liquids for a long enough period of time, it will cook up completely in the oven.
Yes, this recipe is my favorite way to cook pasta without boiling it. The pasta is baked submerged in enough chicken broth and pasta sauce for it to cook in the oven, no boiling needed!
Most long pasta shapes (spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, etc.) can bake covered the oven for 30-35 minutes. The wider or thicker the noodle, the longer it will need to cook in that time range. The thinner the noodle, the shorter it will need to cook in that time range.
For the best results, you bake pasta covered -- especially if you are making this no boil pasta. I recommend covering the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil -- making it hard for any moisture to escape.
Serving suggestions:
This pasta dish is delicious served on its own for a simple but substantial meal. To round out the meal or serve a larger crowd, it's fantastic served with any of the following dishes:
- Crusty bread or garlic bread
- Spinach salad or Italian chopped salad
- Sautéed zucchini
- Air fryer green beans
Storage directions:
Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They do not freeze well.
Reheat leftovers covered in the microwave at 60-80% heat in 1-3 minute intervals (longer intervals for longer portions), gently stirring the pasta between intervals.
Dietary adaptations:
Easily make this pasta bake gluten-free by substituting gluten-free pasta for traditional wheat pasta. Brown rice, chickpea (like Banza), or quinoa pasta are all fantastic in this recipe.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Large non-stick sauté skillet
- Silicone spatula or heat-safe spatula
- 8 x 13" baking dish
- Aluminum foil
More great pasta recipes:
- Ricotta & Lemon Pasta with Peas
- Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
- Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
- Pesto Gnocchi
- Baked Pasta with Sausage
- Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce
- Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
No Boil Turkey Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 lb. ground turkey 93% lean or less
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 ¼ cups marinara sauce
- 2 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 oz. dried linguine ½ of traditional 16 oz. package
- 1, 8 oz. ball fresh mozzarella cut into ½-inch cubes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sauté onions in a large skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring as you cook, until turning translucent.
- Add the turkey to the skillet and sauté 4-5 minutes, crumbling as you cook, until the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Add the dried basil, minced garlic, and salt to the turkey and sauté, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the pasta sauce and chicken broth to the ground meat. Stir well and heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture simmers. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Place the pasta in the bottom of a 8 x 13 baking pan. Carefully pour the turkey and pasta mixture over the pasta. Gently nudge the pasta around in the mixture until it's evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle cubes of fresh mozzarella on the pasta mixture.Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil from the pasta. Preheat the broiler to 500 degrees and broil the pasta bake for 2-5 minutes until bubbly and golden brown, watching it carefully as it broils to catch it before it burns.
- Rest the baked pasta at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, or until the extra sauce have absorbed. Enjoy!
