This Ground Turkey Pasta Recipe is a quick, cheesy, and tasty dinner for a weeknight. It uses lean ground turkey and pasta covered in a creamy tomato sauce. Your whole family will want seconds for sure!

Ground Turkey Pasta That’s Easy

This is one of my favorite easy pasta recipes for busy weeknights or when I’m not sure what to make for dinner.It’s one of my favorite ways to use up leftover veggie scraps because it’s quick and tasty. It also helps me waste less and spend less on groceries each month.

This ground turkey pasta is a real winner because it is cheesy, creamy, and full of ground turkey. With just a few simple ingredients, it tastes like pasta from a restaurant, but without the high price.
My 7-year-old son, who usually doesn’t like any kind of tomato-based pasta sauce, cleaned his plate and asked for more. This comforting ground turkey pasta is great with a light green salad or some roasted vegetables. Everyone in the family will love it.

Ingredients

• 12 oz penne pasta – or pasta of choice
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion – diced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 teaspoon salt – divided
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 5 cloves garlic – minced
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• fresh parsley – to garnish
• red chili flakes – to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (I usually add at least 1 tablespoon of salt) and cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions. After the pasta has finished cooking, reserve 1 cup of boiling pasta water before draining. Set the pasta aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add the ground turkey and cook over medium to medium-high heat, breaking it into small bite-size pieces. Once cooked, season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and stir in the minced garlic. Mix to combine and continue to cook for an additional minute or so.

4. Sprinkle the ground turkey with 2 tablespoons of flour and mix well to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and the tomato sauce and let it come to a simmer.
5. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and pour in the half-and-half. Stir to combine.
6. For a thinner sauce, slowly add additional chicken broth or reserved pasta water. For a creamier sauce, add additional half-and-half.
7. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the cheddar cheese and top with the remaining half cup of each.
8. Reduce heat to low and cover your pan or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid until the cheese is melted. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Additional Tips & Serving Suggestions

That’s all it takes to a delicious, winning, cheesy ground turkey pasta dinner.

This recipe is also wonderful when made with lean ground beef or ground sausage in place of ground turkey.
I used penne pasta to make this recipe, but feel free to use any small or medium-size pasta shape including bowtie, shells, rotini, fusilli, rigatoni, etc.
For best results, use at least half-and-half or heavy cream. Anything lower in fat may separate when combined with the tomato sauce.
Add additional veggies if you feel up to it. Some of my favorites include peas, mushrooms, kale, spinach, and asparagus.
(use gluten-free flour if you need to)

I hope you LOVE this easy ground turkey pasta recipe! It’s:
Creamy
Comforting
Rich
Delicious
Quick
Luscious
Cheesy & full of protein!
Perfect whenever you’re not sure what to make for dinner, I love serving this pasta with a small green salad or fruit salad.