Simple Pasta Dish with Ground Turkey

This simple pasta dish with ground turkey is comforting, tasty, and easy to make. This turkey pasta is the perfect midweek dinner because it has a creamy, cheesy sauce with fresh herbs in it.

Lean ground turkey, half and half, and low-fat cheddar make ground turkey pasta a healthier dish. This turkey pasta is very comforting and tastes great, even though it’s not swimming in fat.

You can use ground turkey breast instead of lean turkey thigh with 7% fat. Besides the taste, what I like best about this pasta dish is that I can make it in just 30 minutes.

It’s the best dinner for a weeknight, and I’ve never met an adult or kid who didn’t want a bowl of cheesy pasta!

Why you’ll love this pasta with ground turkey

• You can enjoy this quick and easy weeknight meal without feeling bad about it because it’s a little healthier.
• You can easily change the herbs, spices, and cheese in this recipe to make it your own.
• This recipe is easy on the wallet and makes it simple to feed the whole family a tasty meal without spending a lot of money.

Ingredients

• 300 g (10.5 oz) pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 450 g (1 lb) lean ground turkey
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ tablespoon fresh thyme
• ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 400 ml (2 cups) passata
• 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
• 200 ml (1 cup) single cream
• 150 g (5.5 oz) low-fat cheddar, grated
• Fresh parsley to garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of pasta to a boil, salt it generously and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep pan or Dutch oven and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the ground turkey and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with your spoon.
4. Stir in the garlic, thyme, rosemary and red chilli flakes and continue to cook for another minute.

5. Add the passata and chicken stock, stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
6. Stir in the single cream, cooked pasta and cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted, then add the fresh parsley.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve right away. If you want, you can top it with more fresh chopped parsley.

Leftovers and storage

Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

You can reheat the pasta on the stovetop or in the microwave — you may need to add a bit of broth or water if it looks too dry.

If you want to freeze the sauce, it’s best to do so without adding the pasta. The sauce will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating and serve it with freshly cooked pasta.

Recipe notes and tips

• Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of sriracha sauce to make the sauce spicy.
• Swap the ground turkey with ground chicken, beef or pork — the sauce is suitable for any of these meats.
• Make it into a ground turkey pasta bake by transferring the cooked dish to an oven-proof pan, topping it with cheese and baking for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted.