Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake

Why you’ll love it

Whenever I make my Roast Turkey, chances are that there are plenty of leftovers even if I’m feeding a crowd. If you’re tired of making sandwiches and wondering what to do with leftover turkey, you’ve found the right recipe! Just a few everyday ingredients you likely have on-hand already make for one tasty and comforting turkey pasta bake.

I wanted to make this turkey baked pasta recipe really simple since you probably need a break after everything that’s involved with cooking a big holiday feast. A handful of readily available ingredients combine for a hassle-free and decadent meal. The pesto taste isn’t super strong in here, just enough to give it a bit of a herby flavor!

What you’ll need to make it

• Rigatoni – a hearty pasta that holds up well in this bake
• Oil and butter – for sautéing the mushrooms
• Onion and garlic – I rarely make a pasta bake without these delicious aromatics. Vidalia (sweet) onions are my choice, and I like to mince garlic effortlessly with a garlic press.
• Mushrooms – cremini is the variety I used. Sometimes they’re labeled as baby bellas.
• Pesto – use a good-quality variety in a jar or Homemade Pesto if you prefer
• Heavy cream – to add a luxurious creamy touch
• Cooked turkey – there’s always so much to use up, and this pasta bake is the best way to do it!
• Mozzarella cheese – it’s a fantastic melting cheese
• Parsley – a bit of chopped parsley brings freshness and a little bit of color

How to make this turkey pasta bake

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Cook the pasta for a couple of minutes less than the package directions suggest. Meanwhile, sauté the onions and mushrooms in a skillet until browned, then add in the garlic, followed by the pesto and cream.

Let it cook for a couple of minutes until slightly thickened, then stir in the turkey meat. Transfer the drained pasta to a 9×13 casserole dish once it’s cooked.

Transfer the turkey and sauce mixture to the casserole dish, add half the cheese, and toss. Smooth it in an even layer.

Top with the remaining cheese, cover, and bake until hot and bubbly!

Substitutions and variations

• You could swap the pasta for another shape. Penne or ziti would work instead of the rigatoni, for example.
• This recipe would work with leftover Cooked Chicken or rotisserie chicken easily.
• If you sub the cream for something lower fat, I can’t predict what results you will get. The heavy cream thickens up nicely and is not likely to curdle/separate. You could make a roux to thicken the sauce if you want to swap the cream for something with a lower fat content.