This easy baked ziti with ground turkey is delicious Italian American comfort food with a hearty flavorful meat sauce, tender noodles, and plenty of gooey cheese. It's perfect for a family dinner and makes great freezer meals too!
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Why this Recipe Works
Homemade baked ziti is pure comfort food and always a family favorite. It's got all of the classic flavors of homemade lasagna with less time and effort!
In this recipe, I use a store-bought tomato sauce and add additional onion, garlic, herbs, and seasonings to build more flavor.
A mixture of ground turkey and Italian turkey sausage makes for a rich and hearty meat sauce that's loaded with flavor.
And I mix in a flavorful blend of seasoned ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses for those creamy, gooey layers everyone loves!
This turkey baked ziti recipe is a versatile dish too. It is quick enough for a weeknight dinner, a great option for doubling to feed a crowd, and perfect for make-ahead freezer meals.
Ingredient Notes
- Turkey - I recommend using ground turkey with a mix of dark meat for more flavor. Mild Italian turkey sausage will add even more flavor to the dish.
- Cheese - Grate your own cheese to get the best melt. Store-bought grated cheese uses coatings to prevent clumping which inhibits melting. For the mozzarella use a block of low-moisture cheese and grate on the coarse holes of a box grater. For the parmesan, I like to use a fine grate.
- Tomato Sauce - Use a large jar of high-quality marinara sauce for the best flavor. I use Rao's brand. You can also make homemade tomato sauce if preferred.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cook the pasta noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. They should be soft but slightly underdone. They will continue cooking while the pasta bakes. Then drain and set aside.
- While the noodles cook, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Add the ground turkey and turkey sausage and brown, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Then drain any excess fat.
- Add the tomato sauce to the pan with the cooked turkey meat. Stir in 2 teaspoons of oregano and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes. Then turn off the heat, add the noodles to the sauce, and stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, add the ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella, ½ cup of Parmesan, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and the salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
- Add half of the noodles and sauce mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. Spoon half of the ricotta mixture on top. Add the remaining noodles and top with the remaining ricotta, then sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheesy top is melted and lightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Don't overcook the pasta. Boil your pasta until softened but just slightly under-cooked. The noodles will finish cooking while the ziti casserole bakes.
- Most skillets will be too small to combine the noodles and the sauce, so use a large stock pot or dutch oven to boil the noodles. Then add them back in after draining and pour the cooked sauce over-the-top and mix in the stock pot.
- Don't worry about spreading out the ricotta mixture. Just drop dots on top of the noodles around the dish. This will create a variety of flavors and textures in each bite.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty pasta casserole doesn't need much on the side. If you want to serve a green veggie my grilled broccolini is a tasty choice. And you can't go wrong with a simple side salad like my kale crunch salad or apple walnut salad.
Make Ahead and Freezer Instructions
This turkey ziti is a perfect make-ahead dish and also makes great freezer meals. I always double up and freeze some for later!
To make ahead: Skip preheating the oven and prepare the dish through step 5. Then let the assembled ziti cool. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Remove from the fridge around 15-20 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking for around 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is browned.
To freeze: Make through step 5 using a foil pan instead of a baking dish. Cover with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake covered at 375°F for 10 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking for around 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is browned.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. Smaller portions can be reheated in the microwave.
Most shaped noodles will work in baked ziti. I prefer to use penne because it has ridges that will hold the sauce while ziti is a smooth pasta. Other shapes like rigatoni, macaroni, or even farfalle will work too.
More Pasta Recipes
📖 Recipe
Baked Ziti with Ground Turkey
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti or penne pasta
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 pound Italian turkey sausage
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 32 ounce jar tomato sauce
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cook the pasta noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. They should be soft but slightly underdone. They will continue cooking while the pasta bakes. Then drain and set aside.
- While the noodles cook, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Add the ground turkey and turkey sausage and brown, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Then drain any excess fat.
- Add the tomato sauce to the pan with the cooked turkey meat. Stir in 2 teaspoons of oregano and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes. Then turn off the heat, add the noodles to the sauce, and stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, add the ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella, ½ cup of parmesan, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and the salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
- Add half of the noodles and sauce mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. Spoon half of the ricotta mixture on top. Add the remaining noodles and top with the remaining ricotta, then sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is melted and lightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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