Description
A quick and easy one-pan ground turkey pasta made with penne, seasoned ground turkey, creamy tomato sauce, and topped with melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 12 ounces penne pasta (or similar pasta)
- Salt for pasta water
For the Turkey and Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (plus extra or reserved pasta water to thin, if desired)
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 cup half-and-half (or heavy cream for extra richness)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For Garnish:
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Red chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 1–2 minutes less than package directions so it is just shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water (this is liquid gold for adjusting your sauce later!). Drain the pasta and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. You want them sweet and tender, not browned.
Add the ground turkey to the pan and cook over medium to medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces as it browns. Use your spoon to really break it up into tiny crumbles – this helps it mix better with the sauce later!
Once the turkey is cooked through, season with 1–1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, the black pepper, and the Italian seasoning. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don’t let that garlic burn!
Sprinkle the flour evenly over the turkey mixture and stir well to coat. Cook for about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste. This step is crucial for a smooth, creamy sauce!
Pour in the chicken broth and the tomato sauce, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and let it cook a few minutes so it thickens slightly. You’ll see it start to look more cohesive and saucy.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan and pour in the half-and-half. Stir everything together until the pasta is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. THIS is where the magic happens!
If you prefer a thinner sauce, slowly add a little more chicken broth or some of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency. For a richer, creamier sauce, you can add a bit more half-and-half instead.
Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Don’t skip this step – every stove and every palate is different!
Stir in half of the mozzarella and half of the cheddar until they start to melt into the sauce. This creates that dreamy, creamy base layer.
Sprinkle the remaining half of each cheese evenly over the top of the pasta. Make it pretty – this is your moment!
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, and let it sit just until the cheese on top is fully melted and gooey. Remove from the heat. Garnish with fresh parsley and red chili flakes, then serve hot!
Notes
- Don’t rush the onions. Those 5 minutes of cooking down the onions build SO much flavor. If they’re still crunchy, give them more time.
- Break the turkey into TINY pieces. Nobody wants big chunks of ground meat in their pasta. The smaller the crumbles, the better it integrates with the sauce.
- Use a wooden spoon, not a spatula. It’s so much easier to break up the ground turkey with a wooden spoon while it cooks.
- Don’t skip the flour step! Even if you’re tempted to rush, that minute of cooking the flour off is what prevents a gummy or raw-tasting sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American