Zucchini & Ground Turkey Skillet with Ricotta

A skillet of ground turkey, diced zucchini, tomato sauce, and ricotta topped with fresh basil and parmesan.

Zucchini & Ground Turkey Skillet with Ricotta

This easy skillet dinner is everything good about lasagna, just waaaaaay simpler. With ground turkey, marinara, and dollops of creamy ricotta; it’s light yet satisfying without turning on the oven or dirtying half your kitchen!

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword ground turkey, zucchini and ground turkey skillet

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 358

Author Robyn Conley Downs

Equipment

Skillet

Ingredients

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon no-salt-added Italian seasoning
3 medium zucchini, diced (about 4 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¼ cups good-quality marinara sauce (about a 15.5 ounce jar)

Ricotta Topping

¾ cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup Parmesan, freshly grated
¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, turkey, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and Italian seasoning. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned and mostly cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the turkey from the pan and set aside.
To the same pan (no need to wash it first), add 2 teaspoons of olive oil, zucchini, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook until the zucchini is just tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring frequently.
Add the turkey back to the pan, then pour in the marinara sauce and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until everything is warmed-through and slightly thickened. Add a splash of water if the sauce thickens too much.
Meanwhile, make the ricotta mixture by mixing the ricotta, Parmesan, and basil in a medium bowl until smooth.
Turn off the heat. Add spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture over the top, letting it melt slightly into the sauce. Sprinkle with a bit more basil and parmesan, plus red pepper flakes, if desired.

Notes

I highly recommend using the best quality marinara sauce you can find since there are so few ingredients here, level-up with my homemade marinara sauce.

Nutrition