Description
A quick and comforting one-skillet pasta dish featuring ground turkey, creamy sauce, and baby spinach.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces penne pasta, uncooked
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 4 cups baby spinach, packed
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente, 9–11 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the ground turkey. Break it up with a spoon and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no pink remains, about 6 minutes; let it brown a bit for better flavor.
- Pour in the chicken broth and the half-and-half. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it reduce slightly for 2–3 minutes so the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the cooked penne, baby spinach, and crushed red pepper flakes. Fold gently until the spinach wilts and the pasta is coated.
- Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and the sauce clings to the pasta. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and a crack of black pepper.
Notes
Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining if you want to adjust sauce consistency later.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: creamy pasta, ground turkey, quick dinner, weeknight meal, comfort food