Penne and ground turkey are mixed with tomato sauce and melted cheese for a weeknight pasta.
Ingredients
Measure the ingredients below before you begin. Optional additions are marked in the list.
- 12 ounces of penne pasta or any other kind of pasta you like
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 pound of ground turkey
- 1 large yellow onion cut up
- 2 teaspoons of salt (divided)
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 5 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
- One can (15 ounces) of tomato sauce
- 1 cup of half and half
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- fresh parsley to put on top
- Red chili flakes (optional, for garnish)
How to make it
Put a lot of salt in a big pot of water and bring it to a boil. Then, cook the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package says. Set aside 1 cup of boiling pasta water before draining the pasta. Put the pasta away.
Put the olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven and heat it over medium heat. For about 5 minutes, cook the onions until they are soft and clear.
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.
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.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan and pour in the half-and-half. Stir to combine.
For a thinner sauce, slowly add additional chicken broth or reserved pasta water. For a creamier sauce, add additional half-and-half.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Add half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the cheddar cheese. Then, add the other half cup of each cheese on top.
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!
Tips and serving
Cook the turkey to 165°F (74°C) and reserve pasta water to adjust the sauce.
For more ideas, try Easy Creamy Ground Turkey Pasta for Quick Weeknight Dinner or Easy Cozy High Protein Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce.
Quick and Cheesy Ground Turkey Pasta for Weeknight Dinners
Penne and ground turkey are mixed with tomato sauce and melted cheese for a weeknight pasta. Makes 6 servings.
- 12 ounces of penne pasta or any other kind of pasta you like
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 pound of ground turkey
- 1 large yellow onion cut up
- 2 teaspoons of salt (divided)
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 5 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
- One can (15 ounces) of tomato sauce
- 1 cup of half and half
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- fresh parsley to put on top
- Red chili flakes (optional, for garnish)
Put a lot of salt in a big pot of water and bring it to a boil. Then, cook the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package says. Set aside 1 cup of boiling pasta water before draining the pasta. Put the pasta away.
Put the olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven and heat it over medium heat. For about 5 minutes, cook the onions until they are soft and clear.
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.
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.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan and pour in the half-and-half. Stir to combine.
For a thinner sauce, slowly add additional chicken broth or reserved pasta water. For a creamier sauce, add additional half-and-half.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Add half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the cheddar cheese. Then, add the other half cup of each cheese on top.
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!
Cook the turkey to 165°F (74°C) and reserve pasta water to adjust the sauce.