This one-pot ground turkey pasta comes together in just 30 minutes and is packed with good-for-you ingredients like spinach, tomatoes, and bell peppers! The Mexican-inspired flavors are a welcome departure for those of us needing a break from standard tomato sauce.
30-minute, one-pot pasta meals recipes that are tasty and easy enough to make any night of the week make me look a whole lot just like this → 💃💃💃 because guess what?
You may think that because I’m a food blogger, I’m in the kitchen every day, whipping up recipes so that I never have to think twice about what’s for dinner. But the reality is that most days I’m NOT cooking, and when I suddenly realize that it’s not just 5:00 somewhere…it’s 5:00 RIGHT HERE…I panic.
My saving grace? Simple, bold-flavored, all-in-one meals like this one-pot pasta that don’t require a bunch of hard-to-find ingredients or have too many steps. And bonus points go to the recipe if I can scavenge my pantry for most of it.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- Cook this dish in a high-sided, 3- to 4-quart sauté pan or a Dutch so the pasta has enough room to expand as it cooks.
- 85/15 lean ground turkey is the best choice for this pasta. You can go leaner than that, but the leaner the meat, the more prone it will be to drying out.
- Since the pasta cooks right in the sauce, you’ll want to use a good quality chicken broth (I make my own homemade chicken stock and freeze it in gallon freezer bags then defrost for quick dinner recipes just like this.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Lean ground turkey — We prefer using 85/15 ground turkey.
- Herbs and spices — The Mexican-inspired flavors of this pasta are built up by adding cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and chili powder.
- Veggies and aromatics — Bell pepper, onion, and garlic add flavor and texture galore to this fabulous pasta.
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles — Choose mild or hot depending on how much you love spice.
- Pasta — I used penne, but any short and sturdy pasta may be used.
- Chicken broth — The pasta cooks in the sauce and doesn’t get drained, so you need to use a flavorful liquid like chicken broth rather than bland water.
- Heavy cream — Just a splash adds richness and creaminess. Feel free to omit or replace with half and half.
- Fresh spinach — You could use chopped kale or even arugula if you have those on hand instead.
- Shredded cheese — I used Monterey Jack for a melty cheese pull, but any melty cheese like provolone, mozzarella, or even Swiss or cheddar will work here too. Or, if you want to go full Mexican flavor, queso will give a tangier, less melty bite.
- Chopped cilantro — The perfect finishing touch.
How to Make Ground Turkey Pasta in One Pot
- Cook the ground turkey. I like to add a good drizzle of oil to the pan before cooking the turkey to prevent it from drying out or sticking. Season with a blend of herbs and spices once cooked.
- Add the veggies. The onion, garlic, and bell pepper need to cook just long enough to soften (remember that they’ll keep cooking alongside the pasta).
- Cook the pasta. Into the pot goes the tomatoes with green chiles, chicken broth, and pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender.
- Wilt the spinach. Add the cream, spinach, and cheese. The spinach should wilt quickly.
- Garnish and serve. The whole dish is topped with just enough cilantro and cheese to make this dinner totally crave-worthy for every eater at the table.
FAQs
That should be fine, you just might have to adjust the cook time depending on how long your gluten-free pasta needs to become tender.
Yes, this is a flexible recipe that works with a variety of veggies.
Ground chicken is an easy swap for ground turkey; feel free to use it if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
What to Serve with This Ground Turkey Pasta
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
One-Pot Ground Turkey Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt , divided
- 3 teaspoon ground cumin , divided
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , divided
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 medium onion , diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- 1 10- ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 10 ounces dried penne pasta
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach (2 big handfuls)
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Chopped cilantro , for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat until it shimmers and then add the ground turkey with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon ground cumin, the oregano, ½ teaspoon black pepper and the crushed red pepper. Break up the turkey with the spices and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, red bell pepper, and pressed garlic and cook for another 5 minutes or until the turkey is browned and the veggies soften.
- Add the canned tomatoes with green chiles to the skillet or pot with the rest of the kosher salt, cumin, black pepper, chili powder and stir.
- Add the penne pasta and cover with the chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook until the pasta is just tender, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the cream and fold in the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts, taste for seasoning and top with the shredded cheese.
- Garnish with the chopped cilantro, sit back and watch the forks fly!
Notes
Nutrition
More Fast One-Pot Dinner Recipes
- 20 One-Pot Wonders to Make for Dinner
- One-Pot Pasta Primavera
- Mexican Shrimp and Orzo
- One-Pot Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe
- Creamy One-Pot Chicken and Rice
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Lisa
We absolutely LOVE this recipe. When I suggest this for dinner, it’s always a resounding yes from the family. We usually make it with ground beef because it’s what we have in hand but turkey is great too. It has so much flavor and some kick too. It never disappoints.
Thanks Lisa, it’s an easy one to whip up when. you don’t know what to have.
Donna
We like spice, but this was too spicy for us. Next time 2 tsp cumin and 1/8 tsp red pepper. Otherwise it was very flavorful. I will definitely make it again.
Glad you gave it a go and then adapted it to your heat tolerance! Thanks for the tip for others to consider.
Lisa M
This is a regular in our meal rotation – easy to make, can be adjusted to what’s available and everything in one pot, which makes me happy! Perfect!
Thanks Lisa! It really is so easy to make and is so good with so few ingredients!
Nomin
Probably very silly to ask, but could I substitute ground beef in this recipe. I thought I had ground Turkey but it seems I don’t and the comments are really making me want to try this dish! Thank you!
Yes, you absolutely can! I’d suggest using an 85/15 blend.
Evelyn R
This was quick, easy and absolutely delicious!!!! Will definitely keep this one in rotation. Thank you
Happy to hear you enjoyed Evelyn!
Julie
Heidi, this was so good. I try 2 new recipes a week and this one is a keeper. One note to say—I put little or no crushed red pepper in all my recipes as it’s too hot for me. Husband said it has the best flavor and very good (even though he doesnt like ground turkey!)
Thank you Julie and you’re on the right track with the red pepper!
Maria
Just delicious. I added in some fresh thyme, Italian parsley, and chopped chives at the end because I had no green onions. Flavors worked great with this!
Great additions Maria! So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the comment and 5 star review!
Vicky
Very good. Was easy to make except the ads kept covering parts of the recipe as I was making it. I used fresh Roma tomatoes instead of canned, homemade veggie broth instead of chicken, and reduced the amount of salt called for by half. It still tasted good (and the homemade broth had no salt either. Hubby is on a sodium restricted diet.
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Vicky–we’re so glad you enjoyed this and that you were able to make those adjustments!
Geri
This is delicious and as quick to put together as indicated. Will certainly try more of your recipes.
Hayley
Thank you, Geri! We’re glad you enjoyed it.
Paula
This is a great easy simple recipe my husband and I love it just right amount of spice
Great to hear you both enjoyed it Paula!
Cindi
Love this recipe, so easy to make and quite healthy. I did use MILD Rotel , not as spicy as regular. Delicious
Agreed! Easy and delicious. THanks for the 5 star rating Cindi!
Sharon Barton
absolutely love it
So glad you liked it Sharon! Thansk for the 5 star rating.
Linda
Delicious!! I had to make a couple changes for our diet and bc of things on hand…mini bowtie pasta, Parmesan, Greek yogurt and only a sprinkle of crushed red pepper were the difference….will definitely make again! Thanks to the foodie minds that help me make a good impression!!
Sounds delicious Linda!
Michelle Williams
How much Greek yogurt did u use?
Pamela
This meal was easy and very flavorful! We love it. I did have more sauce leftover than I expected after cooking the pasta. It was delicious and we will add this to our regular menu.
Happy to hear you enjoyed Pamela!
Deborah
This is now a favorite with my son. He doesn’t like spinach so I steam some asparagus tips separately and throw them in at the end.
Sounds delicious Deborah! Glad you both enjoyed!
Darla
I have the pickiest eaters in the world and they loved this!! My son even asked me to make a second pot so he could bring leftovers to school. Win!!
Happy to hear you all enjoyed Darla!
Lisa
Made this tonight for dinner and my picky, picky guys really enjoyed it as did I. I will definitely make this again and again.
Happy to hear it was a success Lisa!
Vari
Sooooo good. A bit of prep and time to cook but it was worth it. It took me about 45 minutes to get ready. Definitely making this again!
Glad you enjoyed Vari!
Francine
Easy and so delicious!
Ethan
Great dish! However there are some adjustments I’d make next time
– Half the salt (the chicken broth already contains a lot)
– Use about 1/2 tsp black pepper total (this gave just the perfect amount of milder kick. I can’t imagine how spicy it would’ve been with the original amount of pepper)
Brooklynn Julia Stevens
Absolutely love this. I wanna make the recipe times 2 so would I just 2x the cooking time as well the ingredients ?
Ryan B
This dish is delicious! Followed the recipe exactly and man this was good. Everyone loved it. Easy to make and taste great. Thank you
I’m glad you enjoyed Ryan!
AC
I made this this evening. My family and I loved it. This was very good, quick and easy to make. Will make again.
I’m glad you enjoyed!
Carol
This was very good and super quick. I had no Rotel in the pantry, so I opted to make this more “Italian”, using a can of petite diced tomatoes, a bit of tomato paste and Italian herbs to complement – topped it with mozzarella and basil. Otherwise, I pretty much followed the recipe (I did cut the salt in half and used a bit less spinach.) My penne took much longer to cook, but not a problem. Will make again, trying it with the Rotel next time.