One Pot Warm Veggie Turkey Pasta
Get ready to make your new go-to one pot meal! One-pot meals are my favorite “hack” for easy meal prep–using only one pot to cook helps keep clean up time minimal, which means dinner on the table even sooner! This one is creamy, cozy, and uses three different veggies (squash, kale, and mushrooms) but it’s so forgiving, you can easily swap for whatever similar veg you have on hand! Be sure to read the notes on this one is you’re not using gluten-free pasta, as it impacts the cook time.
Ingredient Notes
Ground turkey: Lean and protein-packed, ground turkey is a lighter alternative to beef but still brings heartiness to this one-pot meal. It absorbs the herbs and spices beautifully for a savory flavor throughout. Perfect for keeping the dish filling yet balanced.
Butternut squash: Naturally sweet and nutty, butternut squash adds vibrant color and softness to the pasta. Its small cubes cook down quickly and blend into the creamy base. A great seasonal veggie that pairs well with sage and thyme.
Coconut milk: This dairy-free option gives the sauce its luscious, creamy texture without needing heavy cream. It balances the savory and earthy flavors with a hint of natural sweetness. Use full-fat for best richness and mouthfeel.
Gluten-free farfalle pasta: The pasta cooks directly in the broth, absorbing flavor as it softens. Gluten-free varieties require a watchful eye for doneness, as they can overcook quickly. Stirring occasionally helps prevent sticking and ensures even cooking.
One Pot Warm Veggie Turkey Pasta
4
servings15
minutes30
minutesGet ready to make your new go-to one pot meal! One-pot meals are my favorite “hack” for easy meal prep, using only one pot to cook helps keep clean up time minimal, which means dinner on the table even sooner! This one is creamy, cozy, and uses 3 different veggies (squash, kale, and mushrooms) but it’s so forgiving, you can easily swap for whatever similar veg you have on hand! Be sure to read the notes on this one is you’re not using gluten-free pasta, as it impacts the cook time.
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Ingredients
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil, divided
1 pounds ground turkey
8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
1 1/2 cups diced butternut squash (small 1/2-inch cubes)
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peel and minced
12 ounces gluten-free farfalle pasta (see notes below if not using GF)
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or low-sodium vegetable broth
3/4 cup canned coconut milk (half of a 13.5oz can)
2 cups roughly chopped kale, packed
Directions
- Combine the dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, ground black pepper, and ground sage in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large, deep lidded skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground turkey. Cook, stirring often, until there is no pink left on the turkey, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until the turkey is fully browned and the mushrooms are slightly crisp. Season with a generous pinch of salt, then remove from the skillet and set aside in a bowl, leave behind any oil in the skillet.
- To the skillet, add 1 tablespoon of oil, the squash, shallot, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spice mixture and stir to coat.
- Add the dry pasta directly to the skillet and cover with the broth and coconut milk. If the pasta is not covered, add water as needed. Stir, then cover the skillet. Simmer on medium until the pasta is al dente and squash is fork tender, 14 to 18 minutes, stirring 1-2 times as it cooks to prevent any sticking on the pan. Note: if you have a gas stove, I recommend lowering the heat a bit to prevent sticking. The liquid should be at a steady simmer when covered to fully cook the pasta.
- Once the pasta is cooked, remove the skillet from heat and stir in the chopped kale, cooked turkey, and mushrooms. Cool uncovered and off heat for 10 minutes to allow the liquid to finish absorbing (it will be liquidy before it cools), then salt to taste and serve.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: From refrigerator, microwave until warm, about 2 minutes or heat in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, about 10 minutes. From frozen, thaw in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight, then heat as instructed.
- Pasta: This recipe was developed using gluten-free brown rice farafalle pasta. If you are using a regular farfalle pasta (12oz) you may not need as much liquid. I recommend starting with 3 cups of broth and adding from there. Regular pasta tends to cook a bit quicker than gluten-free and leaves less starchy liquid in the pot, so keep an eye on it as it cooks and adjust as needed. When in doubt as you make this recipe, feel free to carefully remove excess liquid with a measuring cup to meet you sauciness preference! The pasta will be liquidy before it sits for the 10 minutes of resting time.
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This was so good! Made it with heavy cream instead of coconut milk (leftover from Thanksgiving and always looking for ways to use it up) and regular rotini pasta. Used less water by about 3/4 cup. Also used frozen cubed squash – defrosted in microwave first, then added in last 3-5 min cooking for pasta. Was super delicious! And made a lot – we will probably get 5 huge servings, but could have been 6.
Loved this! So easy to make and delish! So easy to modify if you want to! Makes a large amount. I substituted grass fed beef rather than turkey and cut down on the amounts of spices because of my own preferences and it was so yummy!
Made this! It was pretty good but I did feel like as-is it was a little bland. I ended up adding fresh squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon) and about a half cup or more of Parmesan to mine at the end, plus a little more sage! I think I got a pretty blah squash this time though. I was ok on this the first night but weirdly really loved it as leftovers the past few days haha. It got better over time. My husband was a big fan. Easy recipe overall!
Hi Katy! Thanks so much for the feedback here, a flavorful squash can really make all the difference in a dish, and a lot of times with one pot meals (and soups!) letting them sit and “marinate” helps bring out the flavors, making leftovers even better than the first night, so happy this was the case for you!
Can you switch out spinach for the kale?
This tasted amazing and creamy without any cheese! First time trying rice pasta and was surprised how well the pasta shape held up. Will make again, thank you.
so yummy and it makes a big amount! The only thing I altered is that I added some goat cheese.
Not bad – palatable and filling, with some good flavors – but i would agree with the other commenter that it needs one additional ingredient to push it over the top, to make it zestier and heartier. My wife and I added about 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, which gave it more of a stroganoff consistency. (Sour cream would work as well, but of course, not as healthy!) The yogurt improved it!
Easy and delicious! I didn’t have sage and used frozen kale instead of fresh – still turned out great. Love the colors and savory flavors.
I have made this recipe multiple times and my family and I absolutely love it! Sometimes I add frozen peas to it at the end but no matter what it’s so yummy. Definitely make it and enjoy it. A real comfort dish that doesn’t feel too heavy, but satisfies every time.
This was so good! My husband, who doesn’t prefer pasta, really enjoyed it as well. I added Parmesan at the end, but otherwise stayed true to the recipe. Will be making again!
Wondering why we can’t cook the turkey and mushrooms with the pasta? Wouldn’t that give it more flavour?
I am making this for dinner tonight and haven’t quite finished it. I’m at the “rest for 10 minutes” portion at the end and I snitched some out of the pan, it’s SOOOO good. The flavoring is just right for me! Love this so much! I’ll definitely make this again. I may just have to buy the cookbook! I’m going to try a few more this week. Thanks so much!
Loved the idea of it more than the dish itself. I agree with some of the other commenters that the end product is a bit bland. I added parmesan, lemon, more salt, and my husband asked if it had cream of mushroom soup as the base. 🙁 Maybe I’ll add some yogurt when I heat up the leftovers. I’m bummed because this is my first recipe I’ve tried from the website.
When it was cooling, I smashed some of the squash and stirred it into the sauce. Perfecto!! It added a richness, thickened it, and tricked my picky kids who usually just pick around the chunks of veggies. Also, I halved the recipe for me and two kiddos, perfect amount!
This was amazing! All of my kids loved it!