Easy Baked Ziti made with savory ground turkey in a pool of zesty tomato based marinara sauce makes the perfect weeknight dinner.
Easy and delicious pasta dishes that are simple to make and ready in under 45 minutes are my jam. So, when you're pressed for time and want dinner on the table in under an hour, this is the recipe for you or this vegetarian baked Spinach Pasta Recipe. Although turkey baked ziti is simple and doesn't require much effort or many ingredients, it's very satisfying and nutrient dense.
I use the following ingredients:
- Ground turkey (ground chicken, or beef works too)
- Whole wheat or whole grain penne pasta (for added fiber)
- Mozzarella cheese (or your choice of cheese blend)
- Parmesan cheese (for added flavor but optional)
- Store bought or homemade tomato based pasta sauce (choose your favorite store brand to save time)
I often pair it with a fresh green salad drizzled in a light vinaigrette dressing to make it an even more wholesome meal.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED ZITI WITH GROUND TURKEY
- Brown turkey in frying pan and add chopped onion and minced garlic to meat with kosher salt and pepper for added flavor
- After meat has browned, add your favorite tomato based pasta sauce and allow the meat mixture to simmer. This is a great time to do a taste test to ensure that your meat mixture is well seasoned. For added flavor add a dash of Italian seasoning.
- Boil water and season with a big pinch of salt and allow the pasta to cook just until al dente (it's important to not overcook your pasta since the ziti will also go into the oven to bake).
- Add the pasta to the meat sauce (Be mindful of the sauce to pasta ratio as you do not want your pasta to absorb all of your meat sauce which could result in a dry pasta dish).
- Pour the pasta into a prepared baking dish (that has been rubbed with a little softened butter to prevent sticking)
- Add a generous amount of mozzarella cheese or other cheese blend.
- Cover baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbling
- Remove aluminum foil and continue cooking for an additional 5 to 7 minutes if you prefer a slightly brown crusty top
CAN YOU MAKE BAKED ZITI AHEAD OF TIME
You can absolutely make baked ziti ahead of time. Here, are 2 ways:
- Brown the turkey, cook the pasta until al dente, shred the cheese and store all ingredients separately in an airtight container and place in fridge until the next day or two. When you're ready to bake, remove all ingredients from the fridge and assemble the baked ziti and bake accordingly.
- Assemble the baked ziti in the baking dish and cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in fridge for a day or two. Then, bake accordingly.
HOW DO YOU STORE BAKED ZITI OVERNIGHT
You can store baked ziti overnight in the following ways:
- Remove ziti from the baking dish once it has cooled, and store in an airtight container and place in the fridge as leftovers for the next day.
- After the ziti has baked, leave the ziti in the baking dish AND cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
HOW LONG DO YOU COOK BAKED ZITI THAT WAS REFRIGERATED
Cooking baked ziti that was refrigerated depends on 2 things:
- If you're cooking baked ziti that was made ahead - This may require more cooking time due to the cold temperature of the dish. This may require an additional 10 minutes to the normal cooking time.
- If you're warming up baked ziti from the night before as leftover - This will require less cooking time since the ziti is already cooked, and you're "heating up" at this point. This may require 10 to 15 minutes in the oven at 375 degrees.
TIP: When taking baked ziti out of the refrigerator, allow it to sit on the countertop for at least 10 minutes before cooking in the oven. This allows for the baked ziti to cook more evenly throughout. You have less chance of taking the ziti out of the oven and some parts are hot while other puts are warm or cold.
SHOULD I COVER BAKED ZITI IN THE OVEN
Yes, you should cover baked ziti with aluminum foil before placing it in the oven. This is true whether or not you're cooking baked ziti or warming it up as leftovers.
If you do not cover the baked ziti with aluminum foil, it will cook the top layer faster than the rest of the baked ziti which can also result in uneven cooking. In addition, it will make the pasta noodles on top hard and dry.
For other quick and simple pasta dishes check out (CLICK THE LINKS BELOW):
White Wine Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Before you leave, follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more inspiration.
As always, thanks for visiting.
📖 Recipe
Baked Ziti with Ground Turkey
Baked Ziti with Ground TurkeyIngredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 lbs ground turkey (ground chicken or ground beef)
- 2 cloves minced garlic (optional )
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoon salt (add more or less to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 24 oz pasta sauce (your favorite store brand marinara or tomato based pasta sauce)
- ¼ cup red wine (optional)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese (more or less)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (more or less)
- 1.5 cups uncooked penne pasta (or your preferred shape of pasta noodle)
- chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare a baking dish by rubbing a little butter around the inside of the dish to prevent any sticking. Shred cheese. Set aside.
- Boil water and cook pasta noodles according to packaging or just until al dente. When done, drain pasta. IMPORTANT: Reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside
- Place frying pan over medium-high heat, add olive olive. When oil is hot, add ground turkey as the turkey starts to brown add chopped onion and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper and continue to brown the turkey until it's no longer pink.
- Open a jar of your favorite pasta or marinara sauce and add to browned turkey. Taste sauce to make sure it is seasoned to your liking if not add salt and Italian seasoning as needed. Add wine and cook until alcohol has burned off and taste test again.
- If sauce is too thick for your liking, add a little pasta water to loosen the sauce. Add pasta to sauce and stir until combined (be sure to pay attention to the pasta/sauce ratio). Pour into your prepared baking dish. Layer the top with grated cheese. Place foil over the baked ziti and bake in the oven until cheese is melted, gooey, and bubbly.
- If you like the top to be slightly browned, remove the foil and continue baking for a few extra minutes until the top is slightly browned. Sprinkle the top with parm and chopped parsley (optional).
- Serve immediately and ENJOY.
Notes
- Be mindful of the sauce to pasta ratio as you do not want your pasta to absorb all of your tomato-based sauce which could result in a dry pasta dish which you definitely do not want.
- Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water to loosen the sauce if it's too thick.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information using the specific ingredients and brands you use.
Rick says
Planning this for tonight. Is the recipe for an 8x8 dish?
Cree says
Hey Rick - You can definitely use an 8x8 dish. Let me know how it turns out.
Abby says
Hello! Any suggestions on which type of red wine may be best?
Cree says
Hey Abby - If you drink red wine, I recommend using that. If you don't, a decent bottle of red wine would work perfectly. Trader Joes' brand is also a really good option if you don't drink wine and are not sure which one to choose. But, I tend to use Cabernet because that's what my husband drinks. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Pam Covington says
One of my new favorites! This was so delicious, my boys almost ate the whole pan in one sitting! I used Vodka sauce because that was all I had on hand and loved that it calls for ground turkey instead of greasy ground beef. Definitely a weekly dish for us!
Cree says
Hi Pam - I'm so thrilled your boys enjoyed the Baked Ziti. This truly makes me so happy. What I also love is that you used what you had on hand which was the Vodka sauce; therefore, no need to run to the store for any last minute items. You definitely gave me an idea... I will be using vodka sauce the next time. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment. It is so appreciated.
Lucy Geck says
Thank you! My picky husband had THREE helpings and declared it wonderful!
Cree says
Hi Lucy - I'm so happy to know that your husband enjoyed the baked ziti. It truly puts a smile on my face when I hear such wonderful comments. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a 5 star rating.
Lucy G says
I just made this for the 10th time (at least!) and hubby can't get enough. Thanks so much!
Cree says
Hey Lucy - thank you so very much for the kind words. You are more than welcome. It means so much that you returned to my site to give a 5-star review and leave a comment.
IDA says
This is ? Can I put different colors of pepper in with the sauce
Cree says
Hey Ida - Yes, you certainly can. I'm assuming you are speaking of sweet mini peppers or the large yellow, red, and orange bell peppers. You could slice the peppers and add them to the meat sauce. Allow the peppers to cook in the meat sauce until they have softened but not to the point that they become so soft that they become mushy. You could also slice the peppers, give them a quick sauce, and add them to your meat sauce toward the end. I hope this helps. Feel free to reach out again.
Lin says
Mmm so good and healthy!
CookingwithBliss says
Hey Lin - Thanks so much. There's nothing like a quick, healthy, and delicious meal.
Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness says
This baked ziti looks yummy. I love nutritional meals like this which the whole family will gobble up!
CookingwithBliss says
Thanks so much. I appreciate your kind words. Agreed, it's a win-win when you make a delicious and nutritious meal that the whole family enjoys... especially when you have a picky eater.
Amanda says
For how many minutes?
CookingwithBliss says
Hey Amanda - Once you have prepared the pasta noodles and browned the ground turkey it should take about 20 minutes to bake and for the cheese to melt nicely. Let me know if you have any other questions. I'd be happy to answer them.
Lucy Geck says
What temperature should I use in the stove?!
CookingwithBliss says
Hi Lucy - Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.