Ground Turkey Vegetable Pasta

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Ground Turkey Vegetable Pasta is a light yet very filling dish. Lean ground turkey, loads of vegetables and fettucini pasta combine for a hearty meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner.

This post and recipe card updated September 24, 2020

Growing up I ate turkey primarily on Thanksgiving. We always went to a family friend’s home for a big celebration, and every year they made extra turkey legs. Perfect for me, because the rest of the turkey was way too dry.

I ate a lot of turkey sandwiches in college, using the packaged turkey breast. And more recently I’ve become a fan of deep-fried turkey. I mean let’s be honest…there can’t be anything bad about fried turkey!

One of my favorite recipes is one I created by accident. I thawed ground turkey one day instead of ground beef, but the turkey wasn’t a viable option for the recipe I’d planned. So I went to the fridge, threw a bunch of stuff together, and created Ground Turkey Vegetable Pasta

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• It’s light and healthy, and ready in about 30 minutes
• You can enjoy it without the pasta for a gluten-free meal
• Mix in your favorite veggies, or swap out the turkey for another protein

Accidents can be good, because Ground Turkey Vegetable Pasta is a staple in my menu plan. I make it regularly, and it’s my favorite go-to when I can’t decide what to make for lunch.

INGREDIENT TIPS FOR GROUND TURKEY VEGETABLE PASTA

For a long time I didn’t know ground turkey was a thing. I instinctively walked past the turkey in the fresh meat section of the grocery because I just assumed it was dry.

Like ground beef, you can choose from a variety of fat contents. My favorite is 93/7 (93% lean) because it has good flavor and you don’t need to add much oil at all.

For the vegetables I start with a combination of red, green and yellow bell peppers. Of course, you can use your favorite mixture.

I added baby portobello mushrooms one day because I needed to use up the mushrooms I had. Now I don’t make Ground Turkey Vegetable Pasta without them.

My most recent addition is bok choy. It’s another layer of flavor and another hearty vegetable. The white stems take longer to cook so I add them first, and then add the leaves in the last couple of minutes.

Another recent addition is Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. It adds moisture and a little sweetness to the savory vegetables.

For the pasta, I use Fettucini. I like the wider noodle because it has a little heartier bite, but any pasta shape will do. I add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the meat and vegetables and toss it all together immediately before serving.

FETTUCINI TIPS

• Stir the fettucini with tongs as soon as you add it to the boiling water, to prevent the noodles from clumping together
• Fettucini takes 17-18 minutes to fully cook, so I usually start it when I take the turkey out of the skillet
• Drain the pasta right before adding it to the skillet, to prevent the pasta from sticking together

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray. Add the ground turkey over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the turkey and set aside.

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the fettucini according to box directions.

Add oil to the same skillet, and turn the heat to medium. Add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Stir together and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the bok choy stems, mix together, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir to combine.

Return the ground turkey to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and combine.

Add the bok choy leaves and sweet chili sauce. Stir together and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the bok choy wilts. Drain the pasta.

Toss the pasta with the other ingredients, finish with parsley and serve.

SERVINGS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

How many does this serve? It depends! I’ll make half the recipe and have it for a hearty lunch or dinner. Or, I’ll make the full recipe and have leftovers for 3-4 days. So the full recipe will serve 4 easily, or 2 larger portions.

Don’t like bok choy? Substitute baby spinach in the last couple of minutes. Or, substitute finely chopped kale at the point you would add the bok choy stems.

Other protein options? Use ground beef or ground chicken instead.

What about leftovers? Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last about a week.

Want a low-carb option? Omit the pasta and just have the meat and vegetables. You could also substitute whole wheat pasta for a heartier bite.

MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES

• Orecchiette with Kale, Sausage, Garlic & Pine Nuts
• Asian Quinoa Turkey Meatballs
• Spicy Thai Noodle Stir Fry
• One Pot Taco Spaghetti
• Dirty Rice Chicken Skillet

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