One Pot Ground Turkey Pasta
Updated Jan 22, 2026
Ground turkey pasta made in one pot with marinara, vegetables, and penne, where the pasta cooks directly in the sauce for easy cleanup.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Jump to Section
A good one pot ground turkey pasta is a must!
This ground turkey pasta is the dinner I make when I’m completely over washing dishes, usually after I’ve already hand-washed a million of them from recipe testing earlier in the week. Everything cooks in one pot, even the pasta, so there’s no separate pot of water, no draining, and no extra cleanup. The turkey, veggies, sauce, broth, and pasta all simmer together, which means the pasta cooks right in the sauce and actually picks up flavor instead of getting tossed with it at the end. I make this ground turkey pasta on nights when I want something solid for dinner but refuse to create another sink full of dishes.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Ground Turkey Pasta Ingredients
- Ground turkey: Lean ground turkey keeps this lighter but still filling. I stick with lean so the sauce doesn’t get greasy.
- Base vegetables: Onion and zucchini cook down at the start and add bulk without making the pasta feel heavy. You can swap the zucchini for another quick-cooking veg if needed, or leave it out of this ground turkey pasta recipe. Diced eggplant or sliced cremini mushrooms work really well.
- Seasoning: Fresh garlic, salt, black pepper, basil, and oregano keep things simple. You can skip the basil and oregano and use an Italian seasoning blend instead, about 1 teaspoon. Don’t forget to taste, though, and add more if needed.
- Sauce + liquid: Jarred or homemade marinara plus vegetable stock is what the pasta cooks in. The extra liquid is important; it’s what allows the pasta to cook directly in the sauce without boiling separately.
- Pasta: Penne works well here because it holds up to one-pot cooking and soaks up the sauce. Short pasta shapes are best for this one pot pasta method.
- Finishing touches: Parmesan gets stirred in at the end for richness, and fresh basil on top is optional but nice if you have it.
How to Make One Pot Ground Turkey Pasta
Ground Turkey Pasta One Pot Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 (25-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 pound penne pasta
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and zucchini, and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add the turkey, garlic, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Cook, breaking the turkey up into small chunks as it cooks, for 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through.
- Add marinara and stock and bring to a boil. Once the liquid reaches a boil, add the pasta and reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring often, for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.
- Stir the Parmesan cheese in off the heat and garnish with fresh basil before serving.
Notes
- My Top Tip: Don’t Use Alternative Pasta. Pasta made with beans or gluten-free flour absorbs liquid at different rates and is often prone to falling apart. Since the pasta is cooked with the sauce in this recipe, stick with traditional pasta, which is what this turkey pasta recipe was developed with.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days. Reheat it in a skillet with a splash of vegetable stock, or in the microwave.
- Freezing: You can freeze this turkey pasta recipe for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Add More Liquid If Needed. If the pot seems dry, but the pasta isn’t yet tender, you can add a little bit more vegetable stock or water.
- Cut the Onions and Zucchini in Uniform Sizes. This ensures that they all cook at the same rate. You don’t want big, crunchy pieces of onion in your ground turkey pasta skillet!
- Use a Good Quality Marinara. It’s the base of flavor for this recipe, so you want to use a brand you like.
Serving Ideas
FAQs
No, don’t cover the pot. Some of the liquid will cook off, while the rest will be absorbed by the pasta. If you cover the pot, your pasta will end up soupy!
If the cooking time is done, but the sauce is watery, you can crank up the heat and let some of the liquid boil off. Don’t do this for too long, though, or the pasta will end up over-cooked.
Comments
Hi Yumna,
I had a question….if I were to cook the pasta separately in another pot.. Could you tell me how much marinara sauce and vegetable stock would be needed to add to the cooked turkey in your recipe to make the pasta sauce? Would it be up to your own taste?
Thanks for your help!
My kids (10 and 13) don’t agree on much. But they both declared this “so sooo good!”
Aww, so happy they loved it! Thank you so much, Jenny!!
This was delicious! So filling too!
Thank you! So glad you liked it and found it filling!
Terrible! Flavor was awful!
So sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe, Kim.