Turkey Pasta Bake
Serve a cozy 9×13 pan of Creamy Calabrian Chili Turkey Pasta Bake, a hearty Italian recipe made with green olives; cozy and comforting.
Friends, looking for the perfect comfort pasta dish for NYE? You may remember this Friendsgiving Pasta Bake Board. Well, here’s the main pasta dish—comfort all the way!
Chili Turkey Pasta Bake
Enjoy this Creamy Calabrian Chili Turkey Pasta Bake Recipe for serving any time of the year!
Whether you’re throwing a New Year’s Eve bash in your home or bringing a potluck dish to a party—you’ve got to have good food.
After all, it’s the last meal of the year—so you’d better make it good! Also, it’s fun to get dressed up and throw a party, even if it’s small!
Pasta bake ingredients (using Delallo products)
- Olive oil + garlic
- Oregano
- Calabrian chilis
- Flour
- Deli turkey breast (or leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken)
- Delallo Crushed Italian Tomatoes
- Heavy cream
- Low moisture mozzarella cheese
- Provolone cheese
- Shellbow pasta (we use Delallo)
- Gigante green olives
What does Calabrian chili taste like?
Calabrian chili taste is smoky, salty, and, of course, spicy. To make them into a paste, dried Calabrian peppers (peperoncino) are crushed with olive oil, and sometimes salt and vinegar.
They are milder than cayenne peppers.
How to serve a tukrey pasta bake
Serve with this Meg’s Green Salad and hot crunchy homemade bread. Or, serve on The Big Board.
Make the comfort foods you love, set a pretty table, and share the holiday with family and friends (even if that means a zoom party!)
And don’t forget to save room for New Year’s Eve dessert.
For a little bit of coziness, I love this quote!
“Shut the door, not that it lets in the cold, but that it let’s out the coziness.”
–Mark Twain
We’re hunkering down this week in central Oregon with a lot (a lot) of snow!
Perfect weather for a cozy pasta bake inside around the fire with good friends!
ENJOY!
Get the Recipe:
Creamy Calabrian Chili Turkey Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 Tbsp oregano
- 1 ½-2 Tbsp chopped Calabrian chilis
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 ½-2 lb deli turkey breast, ½’’ cubes
- 1 c Delallo Crushed Italian Tomatoes
- 1 ⅓ c heavy cream
- 3 c low moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 ½ c provolone cheese, grated, divided
- 1 lb shellbow pasta, or similar kind
- 7 oz Delallo Pitted Gigante Green Olives, quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare your baking dish—a 9x13 or similar size; spray with oil and set aside.
- Make the Calabrian Chili Mornay Sauce:
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add garlic, season with salt and pepper, then lower heat to medium-low; cook 3 minutes, then add the Calabrian chilis and oregano; cook 2 more minutes. Add the flour and whisk semi-frequently for 2-3 minutes. Once the flour has toasted, whisk in the heavy cream and milk; cook down on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes. Finally, add the tomato sauce and continue reducing until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Taste for salt, then remove from the heat, and stir in half of the mozzarella and 1 cup of provolone cheese until combined. Set aside.
- Boil the Pasta:
- In a large pot, add 3 quarts of water and salt heavily. Bring to a boil and add pasta. Cook 7-8 minutes (this depends on the pasta)—make sure to drain the pasta 1-2 minutes before it reaches al dente, because it will cook further in the oven. Drain the pasta, leaving a bit of water in the pot (¼ c) and return the pasta to the pot.
- Pour the cheese-chili tomato sauce over the pasta and add the turkey breast. Pour the reserved pasta water over all and stir to combine for about 2 minutes, as the sauce thickens.
- Bake the pasta:
- Pour the pasta into your prepared pan, and sprinkle with the olives and remaining cheeses. Cover with parchment and foil and place on the center rack. Bake, covered, for 25-28 minutes, or until bubbling on sides. Remove the foil and parchment and return to oven for 15 minutes more. Finish by broiling, still on the center rack, on high heat for 2-3 minutes to brown the top.