Turkey Manicotti Recipe

Stacey Mebs | Bake.Eat.Repeat.

This turkey manicotti is amazing - noodles filled with ground turkey in a mushroom cream sauce, then smothered in tomato sauce and cheese and baked. Who's ready for supper?

This turkey manicotti is some of the best pasta ever to come out of my kitchen. 

And we eat a lot of pasta around here.

Turkey Manicotti Photo

My mom's lasagna recipe may still win out as the all time pasta favourite, but this is a pretty close second.

This turkey manicotti does take a bit of time to prepare. Don't run away though, because none of the steps are difficult, and the end result is so totally worth it!

Plus, if you're strapped for time and want to skip a step, you can replace the scratch tomato sauce with a jar of prepared pasta sauce. Homemade is always better I think, but I am definitely not against the jarred pasta sauce to speed up dinner time prep!

Turkey Manicotti Picture

This turkey manicotti recipe makes a large 9x13 inch pan of pasta, so you'll very likely have leftovers.

Which is amazing. Leftover turkey manicotti makes the best lunch ever.

Turkey Manicotti Image

What is the best way to stuff manicotti shells?

It can be a fairly messy job trying to stuff the manicotti shells. But you don't need to boil them first so that helps.

I find the easiest way to stuff the manicotti shells with the turkey filling is to hold the shell upright so one end is on the pan. Then spoon the filling into the shell until it is full and lay it down in the pan. There will still be some filling that doesn't make it into the shells but that's okay, just leave it around the shells in the baking dish. It'll all be good once it's baked.

Turkey Manicotti Pic

How to make perfect Turkey Manicotti:

  • The tomato sauce needs to simmer for 15 minutes, so once you get it simmering, make the turkey filling. This will save a bit of time by making both sauces at once. If you'd like to skip a step, replace the homemade tomato sauce with a jar of your favourite prepared pasta sauce.
  • The ingredient list for this recipe looks long, but I promise, it's easy to make. A lot of those ingredients are just seasonings, and it will all come together very easily so don't let the long instructions scare you away!
  • Make sure to let the turkey manicotti sit for 5-10 minutes after baking it before you serve it. It needs this time to set up. If you cut into it immediately it will be too runny.
  • Here are some more great baked pasta recipes for you: Ravioli LasagnaBaked Spinach Rigatoni, and Bruschetta Chicken Baked Pasta.

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Turkey Manicotti Recipe

    6 Servings

Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 6 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup Mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 28-ounce can Canned Diced Tomatoes, or 796ml in Canada
  • 1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dried Basil
For the Filling:
  • 1 pound Ground Turkey, (450g)
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup Mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup Chicken Stock
  • 2/3 cup Milk, (I used 2%)
  • 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
For the Pasta:
  • 8 ounces Manicotti, uncooked (250g)
  • 8 ounces Cottage Cheese, (I used 2%)
  • 1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Make the Tomato Sauce:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring for about a minute, until fragrant.
  3. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt, oregano, pepper, and basil and stir.
  4. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
  5. Set aside.

Make the Filling for the Manicotti:

  1. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the turkey, garlic, and mushrooms.
  2. Cook, stirring and breaking up the turkey, until the turkey is cooked through.
  3. Whisk the chicken stock, milk, and flour together until smooth and pour it slowly into the pan, stirring constantly.
  4. Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, thyme, and curry powder and continue cooking and stirring until it thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat.

Assemble the Manicotti:

  1. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, place the uncooked manicotti noodles.
  2. Fill each noodle with the turkey filling. I find it easiest to hold the noodle upright, with one end flat on the baking dish, and spoon the filling in until it is full, then lay it down.
  3. Don’t worry about the filling spilling out, it’s okay, and any leftover filling can just be spooned around the noodles on the bottom of the dish.
  4. Once the noodles are all filled, spread the cottage cheese over top of them all.
  5. Pour the tomato sauce over top of this and spread it out evenly.
  6. Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top of the tomato sauce.
  7. Bake for 50 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
  8. Let the manicotti sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

 

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Published:
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Cooking Method:
Baked
Cuisine:
Italian
Category:
Dinners
Tags:
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Related Recipes:
Easy Dinner Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Stealthy Healthy Recipes, Ground Turkey Recipes, Tomato Recipes, Sauce Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Casserole Recipes, Easy Recipes, Baked Recipes, Italian Recipes
Recipe Yields:
6 servings
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Related Post:
Published:
Author: Stacey Mebs
Recipe Yields: 6 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 70 minutes
Total Time: 100 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 6

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 163
Calories 481

% Daily Value*
31%
Total Fat 20g
32%
  Saturated Fat 6g
54%
Sodium 1295mg
12%
Total Carbohydrate 37g
2%
  Dietary Fiber 1g
  Sugars 5g
66%
Protein 33g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
Stacey Mebs

About Stacey

Stacey loves to Bake. Eat. Repeat. so much that it inspired the name of her blog. With three young kids at home, she's become an expert at packing lunches. Say hello to our Lunchbox fanatic!

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