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Square overhead shot of dump and bake creamy tomato pasta with turkey meatballs in a white baking dish.
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Dump-and-Bake Creamy Tomato Pasta with Turkey Meatballs

The quickest and coziest weeknight dinner -- complete with creamy tomato rigatoni, flavorful turkey meatballs, and plenty of cheese on top!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword creamy tomato pasta, creamy tomato pasta bake, pasta bake with turkey meatballs
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 533kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces dry uncooked rigatoni pasta
  • 16 ounces fully-cooked frozen turkey meatballs, thawed
  • 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
  • 4 cups marinara sauce
  • 2 cups Alfredo sauce
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or grated Italian cheese blend)
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves or other chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a deep 13 x 9-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add the uncooked pasta, thawed meatballs, and drained diced tomatoes to the prepared dish. Toss gently to combine.
    Turkey meatballs, pasta, and tomatoes in a white baking dish.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, kosher salt, dried basil, garlic powder, and black pepper. Pour the sauce mixture into the dish and gently stir so that the dry ingredients are completely combined with the sauce.
    Ingredients for creamy tomato pasta in a white dish.
  • Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until the pasta is al dente, about 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and stir the pasta in the dish. If the pasta is not al dente after 40 minutes, cover the dish and return it to the oven for 5-10 more minutes, or until done. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese over top.
    Process shot showing how to add shredded cheese to the top of a creamy tomato pasta bake.
  • Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for a few more minutes, until the pasta is tender and the cheese melts. Garnish with fresh basil or other fresh herbs, and serve.
    Close overhead image of a white baking dish full of dump and bake creamy tomato pasta with turkey meatballs.

Notes

    • If you don't have rigatoni, you can substitute with other similar short pasta shapes such as penne pasta, rotini, or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the rigatoni (about 12-13 minutes recommended on the package) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven. For instance, penne pasta will likely only need about 35 minutes.
    • Make sure to thaw frozen meatballs in the refrigerator before adding them to the casserole. I prefer smaller meatballs (sometimes called "bite size" or "cocktail size") in this dish. Simek's turkey meatballs work well, but any similar brand of fully-cooked meatballs is fine.
    • Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and on your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the recipe | Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1933mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 646IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 3mg