This leftover turkey baked ziti turns Thanksgiving turkey into a cozy, cheesy pasta dinner with just 15 minutes of prep. It's one of my favorite ways to use leftover turkey when I'm ready for something completely different from Thanksgiving dinner.
No leftover turkey? Shredded rotisserie chicken works just as well, which makes this an easy year-round dinner too.
Recipe Overview: Turkey Baked Ziti
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy
- 🕒 Total Time: 37 minutes
- 👥 Serves: 12
- Flavor: Creamy, tomato-rich, cheesy, and herby
- Method: Boil + layer + bake
- ✅ Diet: Gluten-free with gluten-free pasta; dairy-free option
⚠️ Most Important Tip: Cook the pasta 1-2 minutes shy of al dente so it doesn't become too soft while the ziti bakes.
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FEATURED REVIEW ★★★★★
This recipe is incredible! Super easy and really delicious. I'm already planning to make it next week.
- Selene
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Why this recipe works
- It's designed for cooked leftover turkey. There's no raw meat to brown, which keeps prep to about 15 minutes.
- Small pieces of turkey stay integrated into the dish. Shredding or chopping the meat into bite-sized pieces allows the sauce to coat it instead of leaving large chunks of reheated turkey.
- The gluten-free and dairy-free options were actually tested. I make this with gluten-free penne, and I tested the dairy-free version with full-fat coconut milk and Violife mozzarella shreds.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
This leftover turkey baked ziti recipe uses just 10 simple ingredients:
Leftover Turkey
Use 2 to 3 cups of cooked leftover turkey, shredded or roughly chopped. I prefer fairly small pieces because the sauce coats them more evenly and the turkey blends into the pasta instead of sitting in large chunks.
Thanksgiving turkey works especially well because seasonings like rosemary and thyme already complement the Italian seasoning in the sauce. Cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken can be substituted when you don't have turkey.
If you plan to store the baked ziti after making it, I recommend starting with turkey that was cooked no more than 2 days earlier. You can also use leftover turkey that was frozen within 2 days of cooking. This gives you more time to safely store the finished baked ziti after assembling and baking it.
Ziti or Penne Pasta
Ziti or penne pasta work great in this recipe, even thought the recipe is traditionally prepared using ziti. I used gluten-free penne pasta (since gluten-free ziti is hard to find) and either will work just fine.
I use a 12-ounce package of gluten-free penne in place of 16 ounces of regular pasta. That amount gave me the right pasta-to-sauce ratio when testing this recipe.
Mozzarella
Shredded mozzarella or dairy-free mozzarella serves as the cheese layer in this recipe. I use 2 cups, but you can add a bit more if you want it extra cheesy.
For the dairy-free version, I tested Violife Mozzarella Shreds.
Pasta Sauce
Choose a pasta sauce with flavors you like! In a pinch, you could use marinara sauce plus added spices. But I like a simple jar of pasta sauce.
I tested this recipe with Prego Tomato, Basil & Garlic sauce. If you're cooking gluten-free, check the current label on whichever sauce you use because ingredients and manufacturing information can change.
Heavy Cream (or Coconut milk)
Cream or milk keeps this recipe balanced and ultra cozy. Heavy cream works for the traditional dairy version, while full-fat canned coconut milk works well for dairy-free baked ziti. I couldn't detect coconut flavor in the finished dish when I tested it.
Italian Seasoning blend
Any Italian Seasoning blend will work perfectly in this recipe. I used my DIY Italian Seasoning Blend which includes dried basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Marjoram is also a nice addition -- add just a pinch!
Make sure whichever blend you're using is gluten-free if needed.
You also need olive oil, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, and fresh basil makes a wonderful optional addition at the end.
See the recipe card for full quantities.
How to Make Leftover Turkey Baked Ziti
Learn how to make leftover turkey (or chicken) baked ziti in four easy steps.
- Pasta: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Then make the ziti noodles in salted water according to the package instructions but drain just before they are al dente (a minute or two early).
- Sauce + Meat: To a large bowl, add the pasta sauce, olive oil, coconut milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gently stir it all together, then stir in the leftover turkey.
- Layer: To the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, add a little bit of the sauce mixture to prevent the noodles from sticking. Then layer half the noodles followed by half the remaining sauce and half the cheese. Layer the rest of the noodles, sauce, and cheese.
- Bake + Broil: Bake covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. Then uncover and broil for 2 minutes on high (watch carefully to prevent burning). Leftover poultry should be reheated to 165°F. Serve with chopped fresh basil and enjoy!
When you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review below. I always appreciate the feedback! ❤️
📖 Recipe
Leftover Turkey Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti or penne pasta , use 12 ounces of gluten-free pasta*
- 24 ounces pasta sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream , use full fat coconut milk for dairy-free
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2-3 cups cooked leftover turkey , shredded or roughly chopped
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella or dairy-free mozzarella
- 1 bunch chopped fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Pasta: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Then make the ziti noodles in salted water according to the package instructions but drain just before they are al dente (a minute or two early).16 ounces ziti or penne pasta
- Sauce + Meat: To a large bowl, add the pasta sauce, olive oil, cream or coconut milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gently stir it all together, then stir in the leftover turkey.24 ounces pasta sauce, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning blend, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2-3 cups cooked leftover turkey
- Layer: To the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, add a little bit of the sauce mixture to prevent the noodles from sticking. Then layer half the noodles followed by half the remaining sauce and half the cheese. Layer the rest of the noodles, sauce, and cheese.2 cups shredded mozzarella
- Bake + Broil: Bake covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. Then uncover and broil for 2 minutes on high (watch carefully to prevent burning). Leftover poultry should be reheated to 165°F. Serve with chopped fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Expert Tips
Shred the leftover turkey or chicken well. When the shredded turkey is pasta sized or smaller, the sauce can fully coat the pieces and meld them right into the dish! Larger pieces will retain more of the flavors from the original dish.
Choose compatible leftovers. This recipe works so well with leftover Thanksgiving turkey because it is usually seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and other spices that are Italian seasoning staples. Plain chicken or turkey works well too.
Salt the pasta water. For 1 pound of pasta, use 1 tablespoon of salt. It's more than most people think! Cooking the pasta in salted water allows the noodles to absorb the salt too. The whole dish will taste better this way!
Slightly undercook the pasta. Cook the pasta until its just a bit firmer than al dente. I find cutting the boiling time by about 1-2 minutes and testing it for almost-doneness is a good place to stop and drain the pasta.
Turkey Baked Ziti Recipe FAQs
Store leftover turkey baked ziti in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For food safety, use cooked turkey within 3-4 days of the original cooking date, or use turkey that was frozen promptly after cooking. If you won't finish the baked ziti within the safe refrigerated window, freeze individual portions instead.
Yes - You can freeze this recipe before baking and thaw overnight for best texture. Then bake after thawing. I usually freeze leftovers after baking in individual portions and the noodles do soften a bit when reheated, but it still holds together and is delicious!
Absolutely. Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature before assembling. Assemble up to 24 hours ahead of time, cover snugly, and refrigerate. You may need to bake for an extra 10 minutes or so - the edges should be bubbly before you remove the foil to broil. If the pasta is looking dry, drizzle a couple tablespoons of water or broth over the noodles before baking (or before broiling)
Selene says
This recipe is incredible! Super easy and really delicious. I’m already planning to make it next week.