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This super simple and creamy one-pot ground turkey pasta is a dinner that tastes luxurious but requires minimal effort. Minimal chopping, the entire recipe made in the same dish from the meat to the pasta and simmered in garlic and herbs before being finished off with cream and parmesan–this is a weeknight dinner that will be a family favorite for sure!
If you are in need of a dinner recipe the whole family will actually be excited for, this new one-pot turkey pasta dinner is going to be it!
Love dinners and pasta recipes made in one dish? Try these other favorites: Creamy One Pot Pasta, One Pan Chicken and Rice, Ground Turkey Stroganoff or this One-Pot Chili Mac and Cheese (one of my all time favorites!)
Why We Love This One-Pot Ground TUrkey Pasta
If creating one-pot dinner recipes was an olympic sport, I would get gold. Call me lazy, I like to say I work smart in the kitchen. If I can get an entire meal cooked in just one dish, I have succeeded!
With this turkey pasta recipe, I took some of the the basic concept of my favorite Ground Beef Pasta Skillet and upped the game to make it a one pan meal!
This easy ground turkey pasta recipe:
- is packed with 45 grams of protein per serving!
- can be varied easily with the addition of more vegetables, varied spices, etc.
- is a one-pot dinner recipe for super easy clean up!
- makes for a cozy pasta dinner recipe without feeling heavy
Hope you absolutely LOVE this one!
Ingredient Notes
Find the full list of ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- For best results, use about 85% or 93% lean ground turkey, or just a turkey that is not too lean. This will make for juicier texture and better flavor.
- For the pasta, a short pasta like medium shells, rotini, penne pasta, etc. will work. We really like to use the shells, but use what you prefer or what is on hand!
- I use low sodium chicken broth in this ground turkey pasta recipe, but you can also use chicken stock or if you have turkey broth, that is fine too. The broth adds much more flavor that just using water.
Ways To Vary This Recipe
- add more veggies: toss in some sautéd mushrooms, bell peppers, maybe toss in some sun-dried tomatoes, and more!
- use a different meat: you can certainly use a lean ground beef, Italian sausage or ground chicken when making this pasta. If using Italian sausage or beef, you may need to drain some of the excess grease.
- adjust the herbs and spices: use more fresh herbs like oregano, rosemary, etc. in this dish, or kick up the spice and add crushed red pepper flakes, etc.
- top it with melty cheese and bake: you can sprinkle over freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and pop this under the broiler to get the cheese nice and melted before serving for even more comfort in every bite!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Heat a large sauté pan or shallow dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and allow to to heat up. Add the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until they start to become slightly translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute. Shift the onions and garlic to one side and add the ground turkey. Allow it to sit for a couple minutes, untouched, to let it brown slightly and then break it into chunks and bite sized pieces.
Step 2: Cook until no longer pink and internal temperature has reached just under 165°F. (it will continue to cook while simmering without overdrying) Add the tomato paste and stir to heat up for about a minute or so.
Step 3: Shift the heat to medium and add in the tomatoes, broth, balsamic vinegar, uncooked pasta, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Once simmering, heat for another 10-15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes or until the pasta is just under al dente. The type of pasta will vary the cook time for this slightly. If too much of the liquid seems to be absorbed, you can add a touch more broth as needed.
Step 5: Add in the cream, parmesan and spinach, stirring to allow the parmesan to melt completely and the spinach to wilt. The sauce will thicken slightly and will continue to thicken as it cools.
Step 6: Remove the pasta from the heat and sprinkle chopped basil over top. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving
Recipe Tips
The type of pasta can vary the cook time slightly, so be aware. I have used one of the Barilla protein pastas in this recipe and it tends to cook a touch faster than a regular pasta will by a minute or so.
If the sauce seems to be a bit soupy, you can add more parmesan to help thicken it, but it will thicken a bit more as it cools. I like to pull this dish from the heat just before it is at the thickness I prefer. If it is too thick, add in some of the remaining 1/3 cup of cream.
Remove the pan from the heat when it is done cooking to prevent the pasta from over cooking or becoming mushy. It will still soften up a touch after being removed from the heat, so you want to move quickly once it is almost al dente to get the remaining ingredients stirred in.
Storage
Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container for about 3-4 days. You can freeze leftovers, but the pasta can get a bit mushy and lose some of it’s texture once thawed, but we still think it’s ok.
To reheat, it’s easiest if microwaving to heat in single servings, heating for about 90 seconds to 2 minutes, stirring once in between. You can bake leftovers in a shallow baking pan at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes.
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One-Pot Ground Turkey Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 ¾ cups chicken broth, approx. ¼ cup more if needed
- 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 8 oz uncooked pasta, we use medium shells
- ½ tsp each: salt and pepper
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ⅔ – 1 c heavy cream
- chopped fresh basil, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat a large sauté pan or shallow dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and allow to to heat up. Add the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until they start to become slightly translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Shift the onions and garlic to one side and add the ground turkey. Allow it to sit for a couple minutes, untouched, to let it brown slightly and then break it into chunks and bite sized pieces. Cook until no longer pink and internal temperature has reached just under 165°F. (it will continue to cook as it simmers).
- Add the tomato paste and stir to heat up for about a minute or so. Shift the heat to medium and add in the tomatoes, broth, balsamic vinegar, uncooked pasta, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Once simmering, heat for another 10-15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes or until the pasta is just under al dente. The type of pasta will vary the cook time for this slightly. If too much of the liquid seems to be absorbed, you can add a touch more broth as needed.
- Add in the cream, parmesan and spinach, stirring to allow the parmesan to melt completely and the spinach to wilt. The sauce will thicken slightly and will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Remove the pasta from the heat and sprinkle chopped basil over top. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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