Description
A quick and creamy pasta dish featuring ground turkey, fresh spinach, and a silky Parmesan sauce, perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces penne pasta, uncooked
- 1 pound ground turkey (93/7 or 85/15)
- 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, plus extra for serving
- 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 for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, and break it apart. Cook until no pink remains, about 6 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth and half-and-half, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer to reduce slightly.
- Stir the cooked penne into the skillet along with the baby spinach and crushed red pepper flakes. Fold everything together until the spinach wilts.
- Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and the sauce coats the pasta. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan.
Notes
For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half with 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup Greek yogurt. To make it vegetarian, swap turkey for seasoned crumbled tempeh or cooked lentils and use vegetable broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: pasta, creamy, quick meals, family-friendly, weeknight dinner