Turkey Parmesan Meatball Pasta Bake

Turkey Parmesan Meatball Pasta Bake Recipe

Meat with pasta, of any kind, is definitely one of our favorite comfort foods. This Turkey Parmesan Meatball Pasta Bake is super tasty and loaded with tons of meatballs and gobs of cheese! Using ground turkey instead of ground beef makes this meal a bit more on the healthier side!

When I make any Italian style dish, I basically use my standard sauce recipe that I use in my classic lasagna, and bow tie pasta lasagna. It’s a great tasting sauce and can be used in so many recipes. Make sure to keep the sauce recipe handy for all your Italian dishes!

Turkey Meatballs with Pasta

You can use any style pasta of your choice when making this turkey parmesan meatball pasta bake. Make sure to cook the pasta al dente (still a bit firm) so that the pasta will not be too soft once it’s baked in the oven. Just look at that meatball! YUM!

Cheesy Meatball Pasta

As you can see, this is definitely loaded with a ton of cheese! To me, more cheese makes every meal taste better! So, go ahead and keep on adding!! ;)

Helpful tip: When making dishes that call for grated cheese, make sure to grate the cheese. Buying already grated cheese does not melt well due to all the added preservatives. The results will not be the same as if you grate the cheese yourself.

Turkey Parmesan Meatball Pasta Bake is a great meal to serve anytime! A perfect dinner dish for those fall and winter nights too! Since it is beginning to cool down a bit here in SoCal, this pasta dish is the perfect meal for dinner tonight!

Try this yummy recipe today!

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Turkey Parmesan Meatball Pasta Bake

Course: Casserole, Comfort Food, Main Meals, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Terri

Ingredients

For the Turkey Meatballs

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

For the Sauce

• 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 12 oz can tomato paste
• 1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can water
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 32 oz Mozzarella cheese, grated, divided
• 1 12 oz box elbow pasta

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° and spray a large baking sheet with a non stick spray. Set aside

For the Turkey Meatballs

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix turkey, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, onions, eggs, oregano, basil, salt and pepper together until well combined.
2. Roll into meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. Makes 32-35 meatballs.
3. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked reaching 160° internal temperature.

For the Sauce

1. In a large sauce pan, add tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, water, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
2. Cover saucepan and cook over medium/low heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer sauce for 30 minutes.
3. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, rinse and set aside.
4. Grate cheese and set aside.
5. Once sauce is done, add pasta to sauce. Stir gently until well coated.
6. After meatballs are thoroughly cooked, add meatballs to sauce
7. Add 3/4 of the grated mozzarella cheese. Stir gently.
8. Pour/spoon into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with a non stick spray.
9. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
10. Cover with foil and cook for 40 minutes.
11. Uncover and cook for an additional 10 - 15 minutes to brown the cheese a bit.
12. Great served with salad and garlic bread.

Here are a couple pictures that are the perfect size for pinning on Pinterest!

Enjoy, Terri