Easy Ground Turkey Pasta

This easy ground turkey pasta dish is comforting, tasty, and easy to make. Featuring a creamy, cheesy sauce infused with fresh herbs, this turkey pasta is just the perfect midweek dinner.

Ground turkey pasta is a healthier dish made with lean ground turkey, half and half and low-fat cheddar. Even though it’s not swimming in fat, this turkey pasta is still incredibly comforting and utterly delicious.

I use lean turkey thigh with 7% fat, but you can also use ground turkey breast. What I like best about this pasta dish, besides the taste, of course, is that I can have it on the table in just 30 minutes.

It’s just the perfect weeknight meal, and I’ve yet to meet an adult or kid to say no to a bowl of cheesy pasta!

Why you’ll love this ground turkey pasta

• It’s a quick and easy weeknight meal that you can enjoy without the guilt because it’s made a bit healthier.
• It’s a very flexible recipe — you can easily adjust the herbs, seasonings and cheese to make it your own.
• It’s a budget-friendly recipe that makes it easy to feed the family a delicious meal without breaking the bank.

What goes into this turkey mince pasta?

Olive oil — You’ll need some extra virgin olive oil to saute the onion and then brown the meat it. The oil is also important for flavour when you’re using lean ground turkey.

Onion — I used yellow onion in this pasta but red onions or shallots are just as good. Dice it finely if you don’t like big chunks in your pasta sauce.

Ground turkey — I typically make this pasta with lean ground turkey thigh with 7% fat. I find that thigh has more flavour than breast, even if it’s the lean kind. If you’re not bothered by the fat content, use your favourite kind of ground turkey.

Garlic — Freshly chopped garlic is best for flavour here, but you can substitute it with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

Fresh herbs — A mix of fresh thyme and rosemary infuses the ground turkey sauce with loads of flavour. If you don’t have any fresh herbs, use ½ tablespoon of Italian seasoning instead.

Red chilli flakes — You can add more chilli flakes if you want your sauce to have a bit of a kick.

Passata (tomato puree) — using passata (tomato puree) instead of diced tomatoes results in a silky smooth sauce. If you don’t mind chunky bits of tomato in the sauce, you can use a can of chopped tomatoes instead.

Chicken stock — I often make this sauce using shop-bought chicken stock for convenience but if you have homemade, definitely use that.

Single cream (half and half) — This adds creaminess to the sauce. I find that half-and-half is just perfect here but if you want an even thicker, richer sauce, use double cream (heavy cream) instead.

Cheddar — A mature (sharp) cheddar is perfect in this recipe. I used a low-fat version, but basically, any kind of shredded cheese is good here.

How to make ground turkey pasta sauce

Bring a large pot of pasta to a boil, salt it generously and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep pan or Dutch oven and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.

Add the ground turkey and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with your spoon.

Stir in the garlic, thyme, rosemary and red chilli flakes and continue to cook for another minute.

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.

Stir in the single cream, cooked pasta and cheddar.

Stir until the cheese is melted, then add the fresh parsley.

Season to taste and serve immediately, topped with extra fresh chopped parsley if you like.

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.

If you liked this easy ground turkey pasta, you might also like some of my other quick and easy pasta recipes:

• Spinach Artichoke Pasta
• Vegan Cajun Pasta
• Pasta alla Cenere (Gorgonzola and Black Olive Pasta)
• Pistachio Pasta Sauce
• Spicy Nduja Pasta

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