Classic Ground Turkey and Tomato Pasta
A comforting and easy-to-make pasta dish featuring lean ground turkey simmered in a rich tomato sauce with aromatic herbs and spices. Perfect for a weeknight meal.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large skillet or Dutch oven
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for a kick
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 12 ounces pasta spaghetti, penne, or rotini work well
Garnish
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
- Parmesan cheese grated, for serving
Instructions
Cooking Steps
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add pasta and cook until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the ground turkey, breaking it up and draining excess fat.
- Add chopped onion to the skillet and cook until softened, then stir in minced garlic for another minute.
- Pour in crushed and diced tomatoes, stir in oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes, then simmer the sauce for at least 15-20 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
For extra flavor, let the sauce simmer longer than 20 minutes. Adjust red pepper flakes to your spice preference.