One pot Ground Turkey and Broccoli Pasta Recipe ready in 30 minutes and made with turkey, broccoli, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. It’s a delicious healthy dinner packed with flavor and veggies!
This ground turkey and broccoli pasta is one of my favorite pasta recipes to make with ground turkey! I know many people are not fans of ground turkey but don’t knock it until you try it.
I have figured out how to make it taste flavorful. Proof are my other ground turkey dishes like reader favorite ground turkey pasta bake and this creamy one pot ground turkey pasta.
Biggest Recipe Tip
Use quality fresh ingredients! It really makes a big difference in flavor. Please read Ingredients section below for all the advice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes: This ground turkey and broccoli recipe is perfect for busy weeknights – prep time is 10 minutes, idle time is 20 minutes.
- Picky eater approved: Most kids love pasta (and broccoli). My 14 year old asked “Mom, what’s the sauce?”. Um, nothing really.
- One pot meal: Less dishes to wash after dinner.
- Healthy and flavorful: Low fat ground turkey, nutrient filled broccoli, fresh herbs and carbs is a nutritious powerhouse. The flavors of meat, pasta, parsley and garlic are unbelievable together!
Reader’s Review
Incredibly delicious! Super-easy and low fat, which you’d never guess by the flavor! I will be making this again and again! Thank you!
Tracy Eberlein
Ingredients for Ground Turkey and Broccoli Pasta
- Ground turkey: I used 1 pound of ground turkey. Equivalent substitute is ground chicken, but ground beef will work if that is all you have on hand.
- Pasta: Short pasta like shells, penne, elbow macaroni or bow ties. I use whole wheat or whole grain pasta. Broken into pieces spaghetti, fettuccine or any long pasta is just as fine. Break in half or more to prevent lumps. Gluten-free pasta like brown rice or chickpea pasta are healthy and packed with protein and fiber too.
- Broccoli: Fresh broccoli florets or frozen. Frozen broccoli might need less cook time.
- Tomatoes: Tomato for a pop of color and taste. Be sure to buy tasty tomatoes because they do add flavor. I used ripe tomatoes on the vine, grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes would be good too. If it’s summer, any fresh garden tomatoes are good.
- Onion: I used yellow onion. White onion or red onion will add even more flavor. Don’t use onion powder.
- Garlic: Freshly grated garlic cloves are more flavorful rather than minced. Don’t use garlic from a jar or garlic powder.
- Broth: Any low sodium broth like chicken broth, vegetable broth or beef broth will work. Don’t substitute with water.
- Oil: For frying. I recommend to use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Parsley: Use Italian flat leaf parsley rather than curly parsley for more flavor. Fresh basil could be used as well.
- Spices: Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. You can always add more seasonings to taste like Italian seasoning.
- Parmesan cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best taste, not from a shaker.
How to Make Ground Turkey and Broccoli Pasta
- Saute the onions: Preheat large Dutch oven, pot or large skillet over medium heat and swirl oil to coat its bottom. Add onion and stir fry for 3 minutes or just enough till fragrant.
- Cook ground turkey: Add ground turkey and cook just until small enough pieces are cooked through. Some pink is okay, it will continue to cook with remaining ingredients.
- Cook pasta: Add pasta, stock, and seasonings. Everything should come to a boil as you stir. Level with spatula and cook covered on low heat for 10-12 minutes.
- Add broccoli and let stand: When past is ready (al dente), turn off the heat. Add broccoli, tomato, garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir, cover and let stand for 5 minutes or if you like very soft broccoli, keep cooking for another 3-5 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Add parsley and Parmesan cheese, gently stir and watch it all come together. Serve hot.
Recipe Tip
It’s normal to have some liquid left after cooking pasta. It will get absorbed by pasta with time as you let it sit “to cook” broccoli and before serving. It also makes “the sauce”.
Tips for Best Results
- Don’t open the lid: It’s OK to open the lid once to check on pasta and stir it to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot, but don’t do it more than once.
- Pasta should be al dente: Avoid overcooking the pasta until soft before adding broccoli, so it doesn’t become a mush when we cook broccoli further.
- If you like soft broccoli: Add it 3 minutes earlier or use frozen broccoli. I like broccoli firm, similar to a broccoli salad. And this is what this ground turkey and broccoli recipe is.
- Tomato substitution: You can skip tomato all together or use sun-dried tomatoes.
- Add other vegetables: Cauliflower, another cruciferous vegetable, would be your best substitution. Diced carrots, green beans or kale would also work, adjust time accordingly. Diced bell peppers or mushrooms could be added with turkey.
Serving Ideas
This healthy ground turkey broccoli pasta is truly a one pot meal with fiber, fat and protein. If you are feeding hungry boys like me, you could add some additional sides.
- Side salad: Spinach salad or lettuce salad are my go to salads for serving with pasta.
- Other vegetable sides: Creamy cucumber salad or sauteed zucchini are easy sides to serve anytime of the year.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing it as pasta doesn’t withstand freezer in general. If recipe is too large, cut it in half.
Reheat: Add leftovers to a pot with a splash of broth or water and reheat on low while covered, stirring a few times. Basically you want food to steam through.
FAQs
No. You cannot replace pasta with quinoa, rice, white beans etc. because amount of liquid and cook time in this recipe is calculated strictly for pasta.
No. We add dry and uncooked pasta. It is a one pot meal.
Yes. For meal prep, cook ground turkey and onion, store in the refrigerator. Chop broccoli and tomatoes, store in separate containers refrigerated. On cooking day, proceed with step 3 of putting it all together and cooking pasta.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
- Ground turkey and zucchini skillet
- Broccoli pesto pasta
- Ground turkey and potato skillet
- Healthy pesto pasta
- No boil pasta bake
- Healthy hamburger helper
Ground Turkey and Broccoli Pasta Recipe
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 3 cups any short pasta like shells or penne
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound smaller broccoli florets, give a few rough chops
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes like on the vine, diced (or 2-3 cups grape tomatoes)
- 1-2 large garlic cloves, grated
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (not from a shaker)
Instructions
- Preheat large Dutch oven or pot on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add ground turkey and cook for 5 minutes, breaking into pieces and stirring with spatula.
- Add pasta, stock, salt and pepper; stir and level with spatula. Then cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes, checking after 10 minutes. Brown rice pasta and any gluten free pasta cooks faster than wheat.
- When pasta is al dente (not too soft, so it doesn't become a mush), turn off heat and add broccoli, tomato, garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add parsley and Parmesan cheese and gently stir. Serve hot.
Notes
- Make ahead: Cook ground turkey and onion, store in the refrigerator. Chop broccoli and tomatoes, store in separate containers refrigerated. On cooking day, proceed with step 3 of putting it all together and cooking pasta.
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing.
- Reheating: To reheat, add leftovers to the pot with a splash of broth or water and reheat on low while covered, stirring a few times. Basically you want food to steam through.
- If you like soft broccoli: Add it 3 minutes earlier or use frozen broccoli. I like broccoli firm and this is what this recipe is.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This was great, thanks. I was looking for something as easy and comforting as spaghetti and meat sauce, but without the red sauce and with more vegetables. This fit the bill exactly, and with fewer dishes to boot. My kids loved it! Glad to have this recipe in my back pocket. Thanks.
Yay! Now you can add this to your family’s dinner rotation 🙂
I made this for a meal I am delivering to an elderly couple and I made extra for me and my husband. Smells delicious! And as the cook, I just HAD to taste it for cooking purposes. Delicious!
Can’t wait for dinner!
That’s so great to hear! And how kind of you to bring the comfort of food to others!
Aw I wanted to share a photo! We are SO happy to have found this recipe! We took your and a commenters suggestion, replacing the pasta with something else, Chickpeas. We are always looking for low calorie, healthier meals and trying to incorporate more grains into our diets.
I’ve lost 31 pounds the last 6 months by keeping track of calories, choosing whole and healthier foods. I’ve met my goal but would like to lose 5 more. ANYWAY! Enough about me.. I wanted to tell you that we loved it and think it is delicious! Also this recipe is so versatile! I’ve already thought of using a different vegetable and grain.
We used every ingredient this time around except for the pasta. We used less of the ingredients because there are only two of us but it made 4 servings at 385.5 calories a serving. I was a little confused by the calories in the Ground Turkey and Broccoli pot you made being less in calories, being there was pasta in there. Maybe I missed something on my end.
1 tbsp Avocado Oil
10.4 oz ground turkey (we buy big things of turkey, break up and freeze. Don’t usually weigh, just go by sight)
1 can of Chickpeas
1 1/2 cups low sodium veggie broth
4.1 oz of Broccoli chopped some
4 oz approx. large cherry tomatoes multicolored. Delicious.
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
Calorie total 1,542/4 servings = 385.5 calories per serving
We saved this recipe as it will be our go-to for quick easy meals that will allow us to incorporate grains into our diet! Thank you very much!
Thanks for sharing Brandy! You can tag your photo with @ifoodreal on Instagram and I will see it. 🙂
I made this pasta last night and my family didn’t like it. It lacks flavor. There are zero spices. Turkey must be spiced to take away that meaty bland taste. Turkey, pasta, and broccoli need seasoning. The broth alone can’t be the only source of flavor. I added a lot of fresh garlic and worchestire sauce but even then it wasn’t delicious.
I will politely disagree with you, Claudia. Fresh ingredients alone can be a source of flavor. There is onion, garlic, tomatoes, parsley and Parmesan cheese, layers upon layers of flavor. Quality ingredients and your taste buds do play role. I grew up in Ukraine and any housewife would “give her right arm” for so many flavors in one dish. We cooked with water and food was delicious! In fact, this is how Europe cooks – fresh and no army of sauces and spices to mask the taste of real food. Turkey is an acquired taste and if you just started to eat healthier, it might take time after greasy juicy beef to start liking turkey. But I definitely disagree about sources of flavor in this dish. I don’t even own or ever purchased a bottle of Worcestershire sauce in my life and yet have produced hundreds of recipes enjoyed by millions.
I’m surprised you say it was tasteless. I found it very tasty with so many flavors a light yummy sauce.
Hi! Do you think a 4.5qt dutch oven is large enough to make this recipie?
Yes!
First time trying ground turkey and was pleasantly surprised considering 1) such simple and so few ingredients 2) simple to prepare and only one pot cleanup 3) healthy 4) ground turkey won’t be good, right?!?! It’s a 5 star keeper!
Love it!
I give this recipe five stars because it was easy and it was really tasty. I’ve already put it aside to be in our regular rotation. Thank you, Olena.
Carol
Many thanks for your wonderful feedback Carol!
I loved this recipe but I substituted a few of the ingredients. I used chickpeas instead of pasta, (my preference) spicy Beyond meat sausages instead of turkey (I a pescatarian) I also used carrots instead of tomatoes. I am not very fond of tomatoes. I wanted to make this dish high in fibre.
I will definitely make this again.
Thanks for sharing your adaptations Ilona!
This recipe is great as is, for the rest of the family. For me, the veggie noodles are a must. Thanks to the individual who suggested that change.