Turkey and Ricotta Stuffed Shells in Tomato Sauce is a delicious and transformational leftover turkey pasta bake idea. The Shredded Turkey, Italian seasonings, mozzarella, and ricotta are stuffed in shells and topped with a simple tomato sauce and more melty mozzarella and nutty parmesan, it's a perfect dish that the family will love!
Shred Turkey or chicken with fingers or using 2 forks.
In a large mixing bowl, add all Filling ingredients except the shredded turkey and combine together.
Cook the Jumbo Pasta Shells to al dente (not fully cooked). The shells will finish cooking in the oven. When the shells are done boiling, strain them and run cool water over them to stop the cooking.
Make the Tomato Sauce by emptying the whole tomatoes and sauce into a bowl. Crush the whole tomatoes using a fork or just your hands/fingers. Add 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground pepper.
To a 9x11 Casserole Dish (3 Quart Dish) add a small amount of the tomato sauce, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread the sauce around. Sprinkle a pinch of Italian Seasoning all over.
Stuff each of the pasta shells with some of the Turkey Ricotta filling. You want to try to get 15-16 shells stuffed (you probably will not have dish space or filling for more than this), so do not over-stuff, as you can always go back and add more stuffing. Also, I like to stuff first, then layer into the dish. It's easier to go back and re-stuff before adding to the sauce.
Once you have them all stuffed, start layering them in row by row starting with the short end of the dish and going across.
Pour the tomato sauce over the shells, then sprinkle half of the Parmesan Cheese on top evenly. Next sprinkle the Mozzarella evenly over top and the remaining parmesan cheese on top of that.
Preheat oven to 350 F degree.
Cover the baking dish with an oven-safe cover or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 15 more minutes. Let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving.