Description
A comforting and delicious leftover turkey pasta bake combining tender rigatoni with sauteed mushrooms, creamy pesto sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect for using up cooked turkey, this baked casserole is rich, cheesy, and easy to prepare, making it an ideal make-ahead or family-friendly meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 ounces uncooked rigatoni or penne
Sauce & Veggies
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 7 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup pesto
- 2 cups heavy/whipping cream
Protein & Cheese
- 2-3 cups cooked turkey, cut up
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Fresh chopped parsley (optional), to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and position the oven rack in the middle to ensure even baking.
- Cook Pasta: Boil the rigatoni or penne for 2 minutes less than the package instructions to keep it slightly firm. Drain the pasta and place it in a greased 9×13 inch casserole dish.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sliced mushrooms, cooking until mushrooms release their moisture and everything turns nicely browned, about 8 minutes.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn it.
- Make Sauce: Mix pesto and heavy cream into the skillet. Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble and cook for about 2 minutes until it thickens slightly but still remains pourable. Remove from heat.
- Combine Turkey: Stir the diced cooked turkey into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix Pasta and Sauce: Pour the sauce mixture over the pasta in the casserole dish. Add half of the shredded mozzarella cheese and toss everything together to combine evenly.
- Top with Cheese: Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. For an extra cheesy finish, add additional cheese if desired.
- Bake Covered: Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until thoroughly heated.
- Broil for Browning: Remove the foil and broil the top for a few minutes to brown and bubble the cheese, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Rest and Serve: Allow the pasta bake to rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if using for a fresh pop of color and flavor.
Notes
- Cooking the pasta slightly under al dente prevents it from becoming mushy after baking.
- You can substitute the turkey with leftover chicken or ham.
- If you prefer a lighter sauce, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk, but the sauce will be less creamy.
- Adding fresh herbs like basil or thyme can enhance the flavor.
- Covering with foil traps moisture to keep the bake from drying out.
- Broil just before serving to achieve a golden cheesy crust.
