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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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.
Dad can cook!
So like you, I often scramble and head to Pinterest for dinner ideas to see what I can make with what I’ve got. Had no pasta so went with rice and followed everything else in the recipe and it was quite good!
Jen
This was so easy and so good!! I subbed about 8oz tomato sauce for the canned tomatoes and about 4oz of cream cheese for the heavy cream. I cut back on a salt a bit too. Definitely adding this to our monthly menu!
So glad you enjoyed!
Michelle
Unfortunately this dish was so spicy, we could barely eat it. I’m not sure why it’s marketed as a kid friendly dish… most kids don’t like food that makes the mouth burn. I was so excited about this dish, and I wanted to love it. But I wish it would’ve stated that this was for spicy food lovers. I followed the recipe to a T.
Ashley
Everyone loved it. So GOOD!
Teresa
I had plans for my ground Turkey and saw this recipe and decided to try this instead. I made some modifications. I used both chicken and vegetable broth, added zucchini, squash, mushrooms and I used wheat penne pasta noodles. It was so delicious I had to make it again a few days later, yesterday. My family loved it too.
Fallon
Delicious!
JB
Normally ground turkey can be rather bland, but I really liked the bold flavors of this. But I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5 because I made a few changes that I enjoyed much more than the original recipe sounded. 1) One change was to omit the cream. I don’t see the reason for it. 2) Used 1/2 the cheese. In retrospect, the cheese can be omitted entirely. 3) Instead of cooking the pasta in the one-pan, I par boiled the pasta, and then added it for a few moments. 4) Used only 2/3 cup of chicken broth. I don’t even want to know how soupy this would have been with 3 cups of broth.
Jade
This has to be the most delicious thing I’ve ever made. Holy cow this is good! I didn’t have crush tomatoes but I had fresh pico de gallo, used frozen spinach and fat free lactose milk. I added extra seasoning like onion powder and skipped the chili powder. Also added some cream of chicken and flour to thicken the sauce because it was more like soup. My 11 year old picky eater loved it. I will definitely put this in the rotation.
So glad you both enjoyed! :)
Abby
Do you think this could be frozen and reheated for meals later?
Hi Abby, sure! Freeze for up to 2 months in individual portions and reheat from frozen.
KERRY
This is in our TOP 10 favorite dinners. And that’s saying a lot considering I’ve cooked dinner 259 times (but who’s counting!) since March. To make it even more calorie friendly I reduce the pasta to 5 ounces and add 1 large zucchini (1/2-inch diced) along with the spinach and let it sit for about 5 minutes so it still has some bite to it. LOVE this recipe!!
Sarah
Def adding this one to our menu ! Even my 18 month old loved it.
Heidi
So happy you all enjoyed Sarah!
Julia
I made this last night for Sunday dinner and everyone loved it. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it Julia!
Julia
Just made this for Sunday dinner and everybody loved it. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipes. Julis
So glad you enjoyed it Julia. Thanks for the 5-star rating!
Sue Murray
Really easy and fast and easily customizable. I through some leftover white wine in there.
Wine is a great addition Sue. Thanks for the comment and rating.
Debbie Yeager
I just made this and was delicious. We loved it. Will be passing this recipe on to my daughter. Thanks for the recipe.
Laura S Cox
Made this for dinner tonight, and we all really enjoyed it. My husband isn’t the biggest fan of one-pot meals, but he said he really liked the flavor, and since he does the dishes, he also appreciated that all he had to wash was a pot and a cutting board, basically. My son is very open to new foods, luckily, and he liked it so much, he wanted seconds! We omitted the cumin, chili powder, and cilantro, and tried to maintain a more Italian-inspired dish, and it did not disappoint. We increased the amounts of oregano and garlic, and after stirring in cream and spinach, we added parmesan. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Phyl
I made it for dinner this evening. My boyfriend and I loved it! He had two helpings, and we still have enough for tomorrow’s dinner. I like cooking everything in one pot…so much less to clean afterward.
I’m so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed it Phyl! And less dish washing for the win :)
sarah mercer
I found this recipe by googling “what to make with spinach and ground turkey”. Turns out I had bought arugula not spinach but it still worked! Easy to follow directions and simple ingredients. My whole family loved it and I love how many veggies are hidden in this dish. This will be in the regular rotation.
So glad Google led you here Sarah, and even better that you enjoyed it. Thanks for the 5-star rating!
Muna
Made this today for dinner & it was delicious! As I have small children I reduced the amount of salt & chilli but it still has quite a kick to it. My super fussy almost 3 year old wouldn’t touch it which is a shame as he’s normally a big fan of pasta but my 10 month old loved it. Will def make it again!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I am so glad that your littles liked it! Hopefully your 3 year old will try it next time!
Brittany Brashear
Hi! I can’t wait to try! So do you add the pasta dry and it cooks in the turkey and sauce and broth?
Judy Iverson
Excellent dinner when I had no plan. I had to substitute butter/milk mixture for heavy cream and left off the chili pepper flakes. A great meal to add to our favorites list. Thank you!
Sarah
Absolutely delicious!! I will definitely save this recipe. Next time I would cut down on the red pepper flakes and chili powder as it was a bit spicy for me. Thank you for the recipe!
Christa
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! A fast and easy recipe, although the store didn’t have any red bell pepper I added shredded carrots in there and it was still great.
Yemisi
I used bone broth instead but I think I added too much of it. Its simmering now. And instead of green chiles I used jalapeño- I love spice! Smells yummyyy
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
It does smell incredible! Enjoy!
Nichole
Made this last night and it was delicious!!
I will definitely be making this again.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
So glad you loved it!
Marissa
So tasty! It was easy to make and kind of reminded me of a healthy Hamburger Helper haha. I used cashew milk for the cream and it came out great. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome Marissa. It is a little bit like HH, but with the healthier bent. Cashew milk works too!
Sue
Question; I would love to make this recipe, I have a pound of ground turkey/chipotle flavored that I have been wanting to use. Would this work for this recipe? If so, how should I adjust the seasoning?
Rebecca Martin
Great recipe, I made it pretty close to directions. Substituted half and half for cream. Turned out really delicious though! Definitely a keeper!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Sounds delish! Thanks Rebecca1
Kevin
It was out of this world excellent — like a signature pasta dish from a semi higher end Italian restaurant. The only thing I switched up was Cayenne Pepper instead of Chili Powder (for a spicier kick).
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
YAY!!! Thanks Kevin. Glad you enjoyed it.
Mary Henderson
Made this for the first time tonite. And it won’t be the last time! It’s filed under my favourites
Brenda
I made this dish for my family. They loved it and have requested that I keep this recipe for future meals. My husband asked that I reduced the amount of crushed red pepper next time but he isn’t a spicy food lover like my kids and grandchildren. I thought the added cream and cheese softened the hot just right.
Gwen
I googled for a recipe using ground turkey and pasta …. and this popped up! I didn’t have fresh spinach but I added some frozen chopped spinach. Also threw in some broccoli. It was delicious! Thank you for the great recipe!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
That sounds so great! I love when you guys make these recipes your own with what you have on hand! Thanks Gwen
Andrea
I was looking for an easy recipe with ground turkey and spinach and I’m so glad I found yours. Not only was it easy, but tastes great! I was out of penne pasta so ended up using whole-wheat macaroni and only used half the amount which made it more like a soup which I really liked! I couldn’t get over how great the turkey tastes since it can run on the “bland” side but is a great substitute for ground beef. Thank you so much for sharing your family goodness with us. :)
So glad you enjoyed it Andrea! Whole wheat is always a great substitution and gives it a nutty flavor. Cool idea with the soup, my husband would love that version.
Evie And maggie Walcott
First time making a one pot pasta. Genius! It was such a great weeknight quick meal. My kids are buttered noodle fans. At first there was a chorus of “I won’t eat this!”. Then they were asking for seconds!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I am so glad that it was a big hit for the whole family!
Theresa Stoner
Very. Very yummy. My picky eaters said it was delicious. Only variation I did was added a little more pepper flakes for a bigger kick and more like 3/4 cup of cheese . Also forgot to buy fresh spinach had to use frozen.
Made no difference it was really great! Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper !
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I sure love when a recipe wins over the picky eaters! YAY!
Joan
Substituted organic red lentil Sedanini ( from trader joes). Cooks just like pasta but made from lentil flour.
Also added kale since I didnt have spinach. Very yummy!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
That sounds delicious!
Vanessa
Hubby has congestive heart failure. This recipe is not only heart healthy but with few adjustments (no salt) he said it tasted like a delicious meal that he hasn’t had for over a year now! Huge compliment! Please keep them coming! Absolutely Deeeeelicious!
Veronica
What kind of cream do you use ?
Georgia
Thank you so much for this recipe. My husband has NEVER asked me to print out and save a recipe before, but he did with this one “One-Pot Penne Pasta with Turkey and Spinach.” Also, I used what I had on hand “frozen spinach” and it was still delicious.
Sarah
I just made this with some substitutions:
Didn’t have red bell pepper so used zuchinni instead
Didn’t have cream so used cream of mushroom soup instead
Used beef broth instead of chicken broth
Used gluten free brown rice pasta
It still turned out AMAZING even with all the subs! Thanks!
Regan
This tastes amazing, thank you! I had quite a bit of leftover liquid in the dish; is that normal? I did use GF noodles, so maybe that was it?
Hi Regan. If you have more liquid, continue cooking so it evaporates. I haven’t tried it with gluten free noodles, but maybe that was it?
camile baby
Just made this recipe tonight and it’s absolutely delicious!! Made it exactly the way it’s written. Perfect!
Marci
Just made this recipe tonight and it’s absolutely delicious!! Made it exactly the way it’s written. Perfect!
Ana
The flavor of this pasta sauce is amazing! So delicious! This recipe has just the right amount of kick and seasoning. Love it. Thanks for the recipe!
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Customeressay
Thank you. Worthwhile report.
Kim
This was very yummy! A hit with the whole family. Will definitely make again
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Mycustomeressay
More arugula recipes: How to make arugula pesto [FoodieCrush], Slow Cooker Sausage Arugula Lentil Soup [Melanie Makes], and Arugula Berry and Goat Cheese Salad [RecipeGirl].
shiraosa
Juhu!! Hvor er jeg en heldig kartoffel!! Sender dig straks mine kontaktoplysninger! kh Ulrika
Mike Hill
A great one pot meal! I subbed hot Italian chicken sausage and added chopped carrots and celery for extra crunch. Topped with shredded smoked chipotle Gouda.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Olivia Atherton
So yummy looking!!! Just pinned this away to make when my brother stops in unexpected!
Lisa
What a great and delicious recipe! Made exactly as written and it is so good and flavorful. Big hit with the family. Will definitely make again! Thanks for posting!