Ground Turkey Pasta (30-Minute Dinner!)
This quick, easy ground turkey pasta comes together quickly in under 30 minutes! Packed with fresh, wholesome veggies like zucchini and carrots that are “hidden” so they melt right into the Italian-style creamy sauce; you will love this easy dinner idea that actually makes ground turkey taste good!
5 star review
“I made this again, the same way and still delicious! My boyfriend said it’s the best meal he’s ever eaten. Thank you!!”
– Kris
Ground Turkey That Actually Tastes Good? You’ve Gotta Try this Ground Turkey Pasta
If you happen to have ground turkey kicking around in your fridge or freezer, then do I have a quick, easy and wholesome dinner idea for you! Since one of my specialties is simplifying meals, for this recipe I wanted to create a last minute dinner idea you could throw together on a busy weeknight, but also keep it fresh and flavorful enough that you’ll want to make it on repeat.
For the Italian-style, creamy tomato sauce I simplified the cooking process by using a savory marinara sauce (use store bought or make my simply delicious homemade marinara) as well as a few tablespoons of cream cheese for a silky, creamy finish. And, to turn this into a ground turkey with zucchini recipe, I added 3 cups of veggies in the form of onion, zucchini, and carrot; plus cut the cream and most of the cheese found in similar recipes. The secret to “hiding” the veggies is to grate the zucchini and carrot so they essentially melt into the sauce, allowing you to pack in the veggies without anyone even noticing.
Visual Guide: How to Make Pasta with Ground Turkey
A Few Tips From Me to You
Making this easy ground turkey recipe couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is boil the pasta (use shells like I did, or any small shape pasta) until slightly undercooked, then set aside along with a bit of the pasta cooking water. If you prefer to make ground turkey spaghetti or any other type of pasta, simply cook up any pasta shape you have on hand in place of the shells. While the pasta cooks, chop the onion and grate the carrot and zucchini, which allows the vegetables to “melt” into the sauce and become mostly undetectable.
You can also peel the zucchini first if you want to avoid any green parts appearing in the final sauce. Then cook the veggies until tender, add the turkey and spices, brown, then add the marinara and cream cheese to finish the sauce. Finally toss in the cooked pasta along with the reserved pasta water for a restaurant-quality pasta dinner at home!
Make it Gluten Free or Dairy Free
The sauce for this ground turkey pasta is naturally gluten free, so just be sure to use gluten free pasta for a gluten free diet. For dairy free, use a dairy free cream cheese.
How to Store & Freeze
The pasta and sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, in a sealed container. This recipe also freezes well, so store in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead Tip
If you’d like to make this recipe ahead, I recommend preparing the pasta and sauce and storing each separately, along with the pasta water stored separately. When ready to serve, reheat the sauce, then add the pasta and pasta water and simmer on low until warmed through.
This Recipe is…
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pasta: I love using medium shells for this recipe because they “grab” the ground turkey and sauce so well, but feel free to use whatever dry pasta you have on hand, including bow tie pasta or spaghetti.
- Zucchini: Zucchini add moisture and veggie power, but you can skip it if you don’t like zucchini or don’t have it on hand. You can also peel the zucchini to keep any green pieces from showing in the sauce.
- Carrot: Again, adds moisture and veggie power, plus extra natural sweetness. Use a whole carrot rather than baby carrots for best flavor, but you can skip it if you don’t want to use carrot.
- Ground turkey: I like using 93% lean ground turkey for this recipe because the extra fat adds flavor and is more budget friendly, however, 99% lean ground turkey will also work.
- Marinara sauce: I love using homemade marinara sauce in this recipe for extra flavor, but any good quality store bought marinara will work.
- Cream cheese: Cream cheese is the “secret” ingredient in this recipe, lending a creamy, cheesy flavor without being heavy. Use dairy free cream cheese for a dairy free option.
Round Out the Meal
Because of the protein in the ground turkey and this added veggies, this is easy turkey pasta recipe is really a stand alone meal. However, to boost the veggies, make it ground turkey pasta with spinach by adding 2 handfuls of baby spinach at the end of the cooking time. Alternatively, serve it with a green salad tossed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.
Follow my step-by-step video:
Ground Turkey Pasta (30-Minute Dinner!)
Ingredients
- (8-oz) medium-sized pasta shells
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon no-salt added Italian seasoning
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups (24-oz) marinara sauce
To Add at the End
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
Optional Serving Suggestions
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
Equipment
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt to taste, then cook the pasta 2-3 minutes short of the package instructions. Carefully ladle out ½ cup pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, zucchini and carrot, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, then cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat to medium high, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, turkey, ¼ teaspoon salt and Italian seasoning. Break the turkey into small pieces, then cook until browned and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce, stir, cover and bring to a strong simmer. Reduce to a low simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cream cheese, stirring until well incorporated. Add the drained pasta along with the pasta cooking water, stirring to combine. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
- Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.
Notes
- See blog post, above, for ingredient substitutions, storage, and more.
- Use gluten-free pasta for gluten-free diet.
I have several lbs. of undercooked shredded turkey left over from Thanksgiving. I’m going to prepare this recipe, adding the turkey for the last 5 mins of simmering. Sounds great!
Anne, what a wonderful plan, I love the idea of using already cooked and shredded turkey that you have on hand. Brilliant! I hope you enjoy.
This was delicious! I used lentil pasta and it came out just right. Seconds were had by me and my husband!
Meg, yay, so happy you enjoyed and great to know that lentil pasta works well — such a great way to boost the fiber and protein! Thanks for sharing that tip.
I make this for my family all the time now, and they love it! I told my picky eater it has veggies in it, and she was shocked. Thanks for the recipe!
Woohoo, so happy to hear this one was a hit with your family and even your picky eater. Calling that a win! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This has become a staple dish in our house! It is the rare meal that ALL 4 of my family members can agree on and my picky boys (ages 4 and 7) RAVE about this meal! We just served it to guests who also loved it. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Wonderful to hear this quick and easy dinner recipe has become a weeknight staple for you and your family, and that it impresses guests, too! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Family loved it. It was very easy to make and adjust as desired. The fresh marina recipe was a perfect touch that didn’t take long at all. I highly recommend taking the extra steps.
Wonderful to hear you enjoyed this easy turkey pasta recipe, Mahia! Love that you used the homemade marinara — I agree, it definitely takes this recipe to the next level. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I made this without cream cheese and if was delicious!
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one without the addition of the cream cheese. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I made this again, the same way and still delicious! My boyfriend said it’s the best meal he’s ever eaten. Thank you!!
Kris, wonderful to hear this one was such a hit with you and your boyfriend as well. Thanks os much for taking the time to leave a review!
Can the ground turkey be replaced with ground beef or pork?
Lou, yes, definitely! You may need to drain off some of the extra fat after cooking the meat (if desired), but other than that any type of ground meat will work in this recipe. I hope you enjou!
What if we forgot and accidentally drained out all the pasta water?!
Nicole, that’s fine. The sauce may be a bit on the drier side, but it will still taste great!
Update! I used ground chicken and penne bc that’s what I had on hand. Since I drained out all the pasta water, I added a little chicken broth at the end to help make it a little more saucy. It came out so good! Family loved it!
Nicole, fantastic! Great to hear this one worked well with ground chicken too, and great idea to use a bit of stock instead of pasta water. Good tip! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
Amazing! This dish is excellent comfort food, perfect as we roll into autumn. I used the marinara recipe and our house smelled so good. When my husband got home he asked what the special occasion was, ha! Thanks, Robyn, this one is going into my cool weather meal rotation.
Ohhhh, I love this Lauren! So happy to hear this was a hit for you and your hubby. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Hi, can I skip the cheese/cream cheese parts?
Yes, you can leave all cheese/dairy products out. You may need to add a little more salt to make up the salt in the cheese, and it won’t quite be as creamy, but it should still taste great. I hope you enjoy!
So delicious and comforting – and a perfect way to get veggies in for pickier kiddos!
I agree on all counts, Stephanie. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This was delicious! My husband and two year old loved it! My son kept asking “More! Om Om!”
Kasia, so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed this one. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts!
So good and easy!
Archie, yay, so happy to hear this one was a hit. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!
Loved this one! I added a little more pasta and marinara but kept the other ingredients the same. Didn’t add the pasta water because it was saucey enough. My family loved it and so did I!
Kay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one — thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Made this tonight without onions or zucchini since I didn’t have those ingredients but it was still really good! My toddler even ate it which really surprised me since she’s so picky. I will be making this again!
I’m so happy this one was a hit for you, Caitlin, even with your toddler! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts.
We come back to this recipe OFTEN! When I am craving something warm and comforting, but also with some veggies, this is our go to! Last night I made it with whole wheat noodles because we had those on hand and I didn’t have any cream cheese, so I added some mozzarella instead. This is always a hit and something I really enjoy eating for several days as leftovers. I was thinking last night this would be good with some red peppers chopped up small, too!
Katie, yay, I love that this one has become a go-to recipe for you and that you’re able to mix it up depending on what you have on hand! Thanks so much for taking time to leave a reivew!
This is a staple now with the family and I’ve shared the recipe many times! Love the veg in the sauce and also how the cream cheese cuts the acidity. Great recipe! Thank you
Jenna, so happy to hear this one has become a staple family recipe for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!
This was so delicious! I had to rush making this so I didn’t have time for it to fully simmer at the end and still came out delicious! So happy i have leftovers for a couple more days. This one is perfect for hiding extra veggies too.
Jodi, I agree, this recipe is perfect for hiding extra veggies! Thanks for sharing your notes and for leaving a reivew!
Very good recipe! I’m used chickpea pasta and daiya cream cheese. I’ll make it again!
Sharon, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one! Great ideas for easy substitutions, too. Thanks so much for sharing those tips and for leaving a reivew!
Easy and delicious!!! Thank you!
Wonderful to hear this easy ground turkey recipe was a hit for you, Christine. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Totally excellent! Loved it!
Wonderful to hear you enjoyed this easy ground turkey recipe! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
I made this last night and it was inhaled! I did NOT grate the veggies…just left them appropriately chunky. I used my own homemade frozen marinara sauce and bow tie pasta. I may add several diced jalapeños next time since my family likes heat. But I would definitely make this easy, tasty dish again!
Stephanie, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Great notes on the tweaks you made as well. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
As promised, this was easy and flavorful!
Sarah, yay, happy to hear this ground turkey recipe was a hit for you. Thanks so much for leaving a review!