This turkey pasta casserole has all the cozy flavors of classic turkey pot pie in one easy pot. Ground turkey or leftover turkey simmers with pasta and a creamy homemade sauce (no canned soup) for a comforting, low-effort dinner ready in 30 minutes!

Close up overhead shot of a wooden spoon scooping pasta out of a pot.

5 star review

“My whole family loved this recipe! I used protein pasta and bone broth to help boost the amount of protein in this meal. I will definitely make this again since it was so quick, delicious, and nutritious! ”

– Amanda
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Easy Ground Turkey Pot Pie Pasta for Dinner Tonight!

If you love the flavors of classic chicken pot pie, you are going to love this turkey pasta casserole! All the cozy, creamy, comforting flavors of the original show up here in a one-pot pasta, with ground turkey or leftover turkey, pasta, peas, carrots, celery, onion, and a quick homemade cream sauce (no canned soup needed!). Everything cooks together in one pot for 30 minutes, leaving you with a rich, creamy, family-friendly dinner and very few dishes to wash. Love that!

Be sure to use a big pot or Dutch oven with a lid, because the pasta expands a lot as it cooks, and keep the heat at a low simmer the whole time, not a hard boil, or the milk-based sauce can separate. If it looks slightly broken at the end, don’t panic, it comes back together once the peas go in and the pasta absorbs the remaining liquid. Stir frequently after the first 10 minutes to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

This turkey pasta casserole is perfect for weeknight dinners, but it’s also one of my favorite ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers when I’m tired of sandwiches. Top with fresh parsley and cracked pepper, and serve with a simple green salad or crusty bread. Yum! If you love one-pot dinners, my chicken and stuffing casserole is another reader favorite that brings holiday flavors to any weeknight, and my slow cooker turkey breast is the easiest way to make the leftover turkey that goes straight into this recipe.

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Turkey Pot Pie Pasta

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of the following ingredients: raw ground beef, frozen peas, oil, milk, salt, broth, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, bowtie pasta, butter, and pepper.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of a pot with cooked onions, celery, and carrots.
Cook carrots, onions, and celery with butter & garlic.
Overhead shot of a pot with cooked diced onions, carrots, celery, raw ground turkey, salt, and pepper.
Add ground turkey, salt, and Italian seasoning.
Overhead shot of a pot with browned ground turkey, diced carrot and celery.
Break the turkey apart with a spoon and cook until browned.
Overhead shot of a pot with broth, raw pasta, and milk being added.
Add the pasta, chicken broth and milk.
Overhead shot of a pot with a creamy broth, ground turkey, raw bowtie pasta, and carrots.
Simmer, covered, stirring frequently.
Overhead shot of a pot of bowtie pasta with a creamy sauce, turkey, and carrots. Peas have been added to the pot.
Add peas and stir. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Overhead shot of a white plate with a creamy bow tie pasta dish and a fork.
Enjoy!
Overhead shot of a white plates with a creamy bow tie pasta dish and a fork. The plates are surrounded by small bowls with fresh herbs and pepper, and a tea towel.

Testing Tips for Easy Ground Turkey Pot Pie Pasta

  • Italian seasoning: If you have it, poultry seasoning would be an excellent substitute. In testing, poultry season gave this pasta a very “Thanksgiving” flavor profile.
  • Pasta: I tested this recipe with farfalle pasta, but any short, shaped pasta would work.
  • 2% Milk: You can use whole or 1% milk instead, but I don’t recommend fat-free (more likely to separate) or cream (too heavy and thick).
  • Gluten Free: You can easily turn this into a gluten-free turkey pot pie pasta by using short shaped gluten-free brown rice noodles instead of regular pasta. Just make sure to use brown rice gluten-free pasta, as I didn’t test with other types of gluten-free pasta.
Overhead shot of a pot of bowtie pasta with a creamy sauce, turkey, peas and carrots. The pot is surrounded by fresh herbs, a wooden spoon, a tea towel, and a small bowl with pepper.
Close up overhead shot of a wooden spoon scooping pasta out of a pot.
5 stars (7 ratings)

Turkey Pasta Casserole (One-Pot)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Creamy turkey pasta casserole with all the flavors of pot pie in a cozy, one-pot dinner ready in 30 minutes. Great for ground or leftover turkey.
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
  • 1 cup diced carrots, about 1 large
  • 1 cup diced celery, about 2 stalks
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 ½ pound ground turkey (or about 2 ½ cups diced cooked turkey)
  • 1 ¼  teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon no-salt added Italian seasoning
  • 12-ounces farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, uncooked
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and onion, carrot, celery, and garlic along with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • If using ground turkey: Add the ground turkey and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and the Italian seasoning. Break the turkey apart with a spoon and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  • If using cooked turkey: Add the cooked turkey, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, and the Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute to warm through.
  • Add the pasta, chicken broth, and milk stirring to combine.
  • Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, uncovering to stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • Uncover and continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked and the liquid is just absorbed, an additional 2-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: it's fine if the sauce looks slightly separated at this point, it should come back together with the addition of the other ingredients.
  • Once the pasta is just cooked, add the peas, stir, then cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes, covered, for any remaining liquid to absorb and for the peas to warm through.
  • Serve sprinkled with parsley and freshly ground pepper, if desired.

Notes

  • Pot Size: Use a big pot with a lid (like a Dutch oven), since the pasta expands when it cooks!
  • Timing: Will depend on the size of pasta used. Mine came together in about 30 minutes.
  • Stir Frequently: After the first 10 minutes of cooking (when you remove the pot cover), make sure to stir frequently so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom. At this point cook until the pasta is done and liquid is absorbed, which could take between 2-10 minutes, so keep your eye on it.
  • Simmer on Low: Make sure to keep a low simmer to avoid the sauce separating. If the milk separates slightly during cooking it should come back together at the end. You can always add a splash of stock to help it along as well.
  • Optional Toppings: fresh parsley, freshly ground pepper.
Course: dinner
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 418kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 656mg, Potassium: 697mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 4052IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 160mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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