Ground Meats
$1.44per plate
Prep
10 min
Ground Meats · Ground Turkey
Ground Turkey Pasta
Ground turkey is lean and cheap, but on its own it can taste a little flat. Browned hard with onion and garlic, then simmered into a tomato sauce made creamy with a few spoonfuls of cream cheese, it turns into a rich weeknight pasta that does not taste like a diet dinner. One pound of turkey and a box of pasta stretch to feed six, and the whole thing comes together in one pot and one skillet in about 35 minutes. It is the kind of practical, filling dinner that uses what is already in the cupboard. It is one of our budget-friendly ground turkey recipes, all built on the same lean, cheap pound.
$1.35per plate
Estimated recipe total
$8.11 · serves 6
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Serves
6
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/ground-turkey-pasta
1 How to make it
1
Boil the pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente, a minute shy of the package time. Scoop out about half a cup of the starchy pasta water before you drain, then drain and set aside.
2
Brown the turkey
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high and soften the onion for a few minutes. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains and some of it browns, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes for the last minute. Ground turkey is done at 165 F and should have no pink left.
3
Build the tomato base
Stir the tomato paste into the turkey and cook it for a minute to deepen the flavor, then pour in the tomato sauce. Let it simmer gently for 5 minutes so it thickens slightly. If the pan looks greasy from a fattier turkey, spoon off the excess first.
4
Make it creamy
Lower the heat and stir in the cream cheese and milk, stirring until the cheese melts into a smooth, creamy tomato sauce. Stir in about half the Parmesan until it disappears into the sauce.
5
Toss with the pasta
Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until every piece is coated. Loosen the sauce with a splash of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until it is glossy and clings to the pasta instead of sitting in a puddle.
6
Finish and serve
Off the heat, stir through most of the parsley. Serve topped with the rest of the Parmesan and parsley. A simple green salad or garlic bread rounds it out.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Heavy cream or half-and-half for the cream cheese. A splash of either makes the same creamy sauce if you have it open. Cream cheese is cheaper and thickens the sauce a little more.
- Any short pasta for the penne. Rotini, rigatoni, shells, or elbows all catch the sauce. Use whatever shape is cheapest or already in the cupboard.
- Crushed tomatoes or marinara for the tomato sauce. A can of crushed tomatoes or a cup of jarred marinara stands in. If you use seasoned marinara, go easy on the added salt.
- Fresh basil for the parsley. Torn basil is lovely here if you have it. Dried herbs can go into the sauce instead, but fresh on top is best.
3 Budget tips
- Ground turkey is one of the leanest cheap proteins, and a single pound stretches across a full box of pasta to feed six.
- Buy Parmesan as a wedge and grate it yourself. It melts smoother into the sauce and costs less per ounce than the green shaker.
- A few spoonfuls of cream cheese make the tomato sauce rich for pennies, so there is no need to buy a carton of heavy cream.
- Save a little pasta water before draining. The starch loosens and glosses the sauce, so the dish never dries out.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The sauce thickens as it sits; loosen it with a splash of milk or water when you reheat.
Freezer
Freeze cooled portions for up to 3 months. Creamy tomato sauces can separate a little when thawed, so stir well and add a splash of milk as it reheats to bring it back together.
Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of milk or water stirred in, until hot through. Low and slow keeps the sauce creamy instead of oily.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
460
Protein
26g
Fat
17g
Carbs
49g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
Do I need to drain the ground turkey?
Usually no. Lean ground turkey renders very little fat. If you used a fattier blend and see grease pooling in the pan, spoon off the excess before you add the tomato so the sauce is not oily.
How do I keep ground turkey from tasting bland?
Season it while it browns, not just at the end. Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning go in with the meat, the garlic and a pinch of red pepper wake it up, and the Parmesan and tomato carry the rest of the flavor.
What pasta shape works best?
Short shapes that catch sauce, like penne, rotini, or shells. Any of them works, so reach for whatever is cheapest or already open in the cupboard.
How is $1.35 a plate figured?
About $8.11 for the whole pan, six servings, so roughly $1.35 each. The pound of ground turkey and the Parmesan are the biggest costs, so watch for sales on both.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
- Mixing bowls set. A set of nesting bowls handles prep, mixing, and marinades without dirtying every dish in the house. Best for mixing meatball and patty mixtures, tossing ingredients, and holding prepped components.
- Measuring cups and spoons set. A basic set of measuring cups and spoons keeps amounts consistent, which keeps budget recipes reliable. Best for rice, liquids, and any recipe where the ratio matters.
Feeding a crowd tonight? This one is also part of our Easy Family Dinner Recipes collection.
Cook next
All recipes Related recipes
From other tables
All recipes 
