This Ground Turkey Pasta Dish is a simple weeknight dinner that is saucy, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. The sauce is made with cream, canned tomatoes, grated parmesan cheese and a few other pantry staples that totally elevate this pasta dish into one of my all time comforting favourites! I really hope you enjoy it!
For me, nothing beats a comforting saucy pasta, and this ground turkey and pasta recipe hits the spot every time. It takes around 30 minutes to make and is fantastic for meal prep. I’m using a fun long pasta for this recipe, but you can use penne, spirali, orzo, or whatever you have in your pantry!
If you’ve got some leftover ground turkey, check out my air fryer turkey meatball recipe, baked ziti pasta with ground turkey recipe, or my ground turkey stuffed bell peppers which are always a winner!
Jump to:
Why I Love This Recipe
Simple: The sauce is all made in one pan so it requires minimal effort. It also requires a few fresh ingredients but mainly pantry staples that I’m sure you’ll have in your kitchen.
Comforting: If you love a bolognese, then you’ll love this dish. It’s the ultimate comfort food for when you’ve had a long day and need something quick and easy. It’s also a great dish for every season (you can adapt the vegetables you put in based on what’s in season!!).
Great for large numbers: this recipe serves 4 people, but if you want to double or triple the recipe quantities, it would work really well. It’s the perfect pasta dish to place in the centre of the table and serve up to all of your guests!
Ingredients You’ll Need and Substitution Options
Onion: we’re using white onion for this recipe but you can totally use red onion, shallots, or brown onion. If you’d like to use onion powder, you can for sure, but I love the fresh texture and flavour of the whole ingredient.
Garlic: you know me…if you’ve made some more of my recipes, I always go for garlic cloves instead of garlic granules. But you can totally use them!
Ground turkey: ground turkey is a fantastic ground meat choice. It’s low in fat, high in flavour, and great for a healthier option for a meat-based dinner. If you don’t have ground turkey (or you love this recipe and want to make it with another type of ground meat), then I’d recommend ground pork, chicken, or beef. For any veg-based people, swap out the ground turkey for lentils or crumbled tofu (or a mixture of both).
Tomato Paste: or tomato puree, this adds a wonderful concentration of tomato flavour to our dish.
Canned tomato: I bought and used finely chopped canned tomatoes, but you can use whole plum tomatoes, you just need to break them down in the pan when they begin to cook. If you’re not a fan of tomatoes, you can blend some red bell peppers with some milk in a blender and that can be your sauce!
Cream: we’re using a light or single cream for this recipe. You can totally omit this if you’d like, but I love the extra sauciness and buttery flavour it adds to the dish. For those of you who are plant-based or dairy-free, go for a soy or coconut cream option!
Oregano: I’m using dried oregano for this recipe. If you don’t have dried oregano, any mixed herbs or herbes de Provence or Italian herbs would be great!
Chili flakes: this is to just add a bit of a heat kick to the recipe. If you’re not a fan of spice, then sub out the chili flakes for paprika!
Balsamic vinegar: I’m not a scientist, but I do know that adding balsamic vinegar to tomato sauces just does something to it that takes it to the next level!
Parmesan: I followed a recipe recently in a cookbook that added grated parmesan into the pasta sauce instead of just garnishing the dish with it…and trust me…life changing. You could use pecorino cheese too! Or for vegans, go for a hard Italian-style cheese.
Spinach: we’re adding spinach in for a bit of an extra health kick! If you’re not a fan of spinach, feel free to add in some lentils, green beans, sliced zucchini (courgette), sliced eggplant (aubergine) for some options!
Pasta: I’m using a pasta I brought back from Naples! It’s long and slightly curled around itself, but honestly you can use whatever pasta shape you like!
Find the full recipe further down this blog!
Step by Step Instructions with Photos
Step 1: Place a large pan on medium heat and drizzle with ½ tablespoon vegetable oil. Once hot, add in the onions and garlic, stir frequently for 5 minutes until the onions have softened.
Step 2: Add in the ground turkey and break apart with the back of your wooden spoon. Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes until the ground turkey has browned slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Add in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes (with 200ml water to rinse out the can), cream, oregano, and chili flakes. Stir until well combined, then leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Now’s probably a good time to start cooking your pasta in salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Pour the balsamic vinegar and grated parmesan into your sauce pot. Stir to combine. Taste and season accordingly with salt and pepper based on your preferences. Add in the spinach.
Step 5: Taste your pasta sauce once again and adjust based on your flavour preferences. Then add in your cooked pasta. Stir to combine.
Step 6: Divide your pasta between 4 bowls and garnish with more grated parmesan. Enjoy!
What To Do with Leftovers
Storage: Once your pasta has cooled, place in airtight container and into the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: You can totally freeze this pasta sauce and the pasta if you want, but I’d recommend freezing the sauce and then making the pasta fresh as you want to eat it. Place in airtight containers (don’t forget to label with the contents and date) and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Leave to thaw/defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Place the container into the microwave (lid ajar) and heat for a few minutes until piping hot.
FAQs
No, but to make it gluten free, just use gluten free pasta.
For sure, just sub out the ground turkey for a mixture of lentils and ground up extra firm tofu. You can also use a veggie parmesan.
For sure! Feel free to add some chopped eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette), peas, chickpeas, or red bell peppers.
More recipes you might enjoy!
If you tried this Ground Turkey Pasta Dish or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Easy Ground Turkey Pasta Dish
This Ground Turkey Pasta Dish is a simple weeknight dinner that is saucy, easy to make, and absolutely delicious.
Instructions
-
Place a large pan on medium heat and drizzle with ½ tablespoon vegetable oil. Once hot, add in the onions and garlic, stir frequently for 5 minutes until the onions have softened.
-
Add in the ground turkey and break apart with the back of your wooden spoon. Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes until the ground turkey has browned slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Add in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes (with 200ml water to rinse out the can), cream, oregano, and chili flakes. Stir until well combined, then leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
-
Now’s probably a good time to start cooking your pasta in salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Pour the balsamic vinegar and grated parmesan into your sauce pot. Stir to combine. Taste and season accordingly with salt and pepper based on your preferences. Add in the spinach and stir until wilted.
-
Taste your pasta sauce once again and adjust based on your flavour preferences. Then add in your cooked pasta. Stir to combine.
-
Divide your pasta between 4 bowls and garnish with more grated parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage: Once your pasta has cooled, place in airtight container and into the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: You can totally freeze this pasta sauce and the pasta if you want, but I’d recommend freezing the sauce and then making the pasta fresh as you want to eat it. Place in airtight containers (don’t forget to label with the contents and date) and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Leave to thaw/defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Place the container into the microwave (lid ajar) and heat for a few minutes until piping hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 714kcalCarbohydrates: 110gProtein: 54gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 476mgPotassium: 1524mgFiber: 9gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 7640IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 277mgIron: 7mg
