Broccoli Ground Turkey Pasta

by Kayla Berman on March 17, 2025 0 comments

Pasta night is about to be a whole lot more colorful with my Broccoli Ground Turkey Pasta recipe! This easy one-pot pasta dinner is comfortingly carb-y, but packed with lean protein and plenty of veggies so you can enjoy it guilt-free.

When it comes to weeknight meals, quick and simple is the name of the game. That’s why I love easy one pot recipes like this ground turkey and broccoli pasta! Plus, with grocery prices looking a bit scary these days, stretching your budget with inexpensive ground meat and starchy, shelf-stable staples like pasta is a no-brainer.

This turkey broccoli pasta features perfectly al dente noodles tossed with crisp veggie florets, lightly spicy turkey crumbles, and a sprinkling of salty parmesan cheese. Better yet, you only need 10 ingredients, 10 minutes of active prep, and a single pan to make it. In short, it is the simple, swoon-worthy kind of meal that puts the “bae” in basic! 😍

Unlike some other pasta recipes that rely heavily on creamy dairy, this light, bright ground turkey broccoli recipe has barely a blip—just a touch of butter for richness and a dusting of cheese to finish. As such, it’s a snap to make dairy-free! And, with a generous helping of veggies in every bite, it feels more like a true pasta salad—emphasis on the salad part.

Need some more veggie-packed ground turkey recipe inspiration? Check out my ground turkey teriyaki rice bowls, pesto turkey meatballs and ground turkey sweet potato bake next!

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Ground Turkey Pasta Recipe

Quick & Easy – You only need to spend 10 minutes (!!!) of active prep, it’s made all in one pot so clean-up is a snap, and it’ll be on the table in just 45 minutes total.
Comforting & Wholesome – There’s something so heartwarming about a bowl of noodles, especially when it tastes as buttery and garlicky as this ground turkey pasta. But despite tasting like a hug in a bowl, this balanced meal offers a hefty dose of lean protein and antioxidant-packed veggies, so you can feel good about how you’re fueling your body.
Just 10 Basic Ingredients – If pantry meals are your style, you’re going to love this customizable recipe. All you need is a box of pasta, a can of broth, a few bags of fresh or frozen vegetables, a pound of meat, and a few staples like olive oil and red pepper flakes!

Nutritional Deep Dive

If you were to split this recipe into 5 generous portions, each one would have approximately 510 calories—right in the middle range of what would be considered a “light” dinner. It’s also quite balanced. For each serving, you’re getting 29 grams of muscle-building protein, 29 grams of satiating fats, and 39 grams of energy-boosting carbs—3 of which come from fiber.

But, while those macros are well within my comfort zone, your dietary needs might be different. Not to worry! Here are some easy tweaks you can make:

For more protein, consider swapping in lentil or chickpea noodles—this will have the added benefit of amping up the fiber, too! If you go this route, cook the pasta separately—it doesn’t do well in one-pot recipes. You can also opt to use extra-lean turkey meat, which will boost the protein by up to 25% and/or swap in chicken bone broth for regular chicken broth.
For fewer carbs, swap in heart of palm pasta or zoodles—both of which will give you a fiber boost. Don’t you just love added benefits?
For more fiber, you can use whole grain noodles or swap in legume-based noodles. Or, serve your pasta with a salad on the side!
For less fat and fewer calories, use extra lean ground turkey, cut the oil and butter by half, and/or swap in nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese.

INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT: While some folks might not consider carb-heavy pasta part of a healthy diet, I have to respectfully disagree. Let’s just look at the facts: Sardinia, Italy is one of the Blue Zones, Italy is one of the healthiest countries overall, and pasta is an Italian food staple. It’s clear I’m not alone in that assessment!

Granted, there are plenty of cream and butter-rich sauces that would fall on the less diet-friendly end of the spectrum—though, many of those can easily be health-ified, like my high-protein greek yogurt alfredo sauce or high-protein cottage cheese alfredo. Just remember that noodles themselves aren’t “bad,” especially when paired with lean protein and vegetables!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Olive Oil & Butter – We’ll use the olive oil for sautéing and the butter for a little extra yum. Feel free to swap in the cooking oil of your choice.
Ground Turkey – I used 93/7 turkey, but you can swap in extra-lean ground turkey (which is lighter on fat & calories and has more protein) or regular ground turkey (which has a bit more fat & calories and less protein).
Yellow Onion & Garlic – Cooked alliums add sweetness, plus an extra hit of veggie goodness. I like yellow onions because they’re extra sweet and become soft with cooking, but you’re welcome to swap in red onions, shallots, or even white onions if need be.
Red Pepper Flakes, Kosher Salt, & Black Pepper – Just basic seasonings to add a bit of spice!
Chicken Broth – Feel free to use homemade or canned broth, or use bouillon cubes or paste. Alternatively, swap in chicken bone broth or veggie broth.
Broccoli Florets – Fresh or frozen work! No need to defrost first.
Medium Shell Pasta – Other short shapes like orecchiette, penne, rigatoni, farfalle and macaroni will work, too!
Parmesan Cheese – To me, almost no pasta dish is complete without it! Feel free to swap in another hard-aged Italian cheese like pecorino or grana padano.

How To Make Ground Turkey Broccoli Pasta

Step 1: Brown Turkey. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the turkey. Break the turkey into large chunks and cook until almost browned, about 5 minutes. Note: The turkey pieces will continue to get smaller as the dish cooks.

Step 2: Add Aromatics. Add in the diced onion and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until the onion is softened. Add the minced garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the pan. Continue to cook while stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

Step 3: Simmer Broccoli. Add the chicken broth and broccoli florets to the pot. Bring to a simmer.

Step 4: Cook Pasta. Pour the pasta in the pot and stir together. The pasta should just barely be submerged in the broth. Cook uncovered until the pasta is al dente, about 10-12 minutes or according to the package directions. Stir occasionally. Note: Some varieties of pasta will require more liquid – if you see all the liquid is gone before the pasta is done just add more water or broth.

Step 5: Add Dairy & Serve. Once the pasta is cooked through, add in the parmesan cheese and butter. Stir until it melts into a creamy sauce.

onions added to the skillet with the browned turkey meat.

Optional Variations

As with all recipes on Wellness by Kay, I want you to have as many options as possible! Here are just a few ways you can tailor this broccoli ground turkey pasta recipe to fit your needs:

Dairy-Free – Swap in vegan butter and plant-based parmesan. You can also use nutritional yeast to replace the cheesy flavor of parm, but note that the sauce will not be quite as creamy if you do.
Gluten-Free – Feel free to use the gluten-free noodles of your choice, but note that legume-based pastas are not great for one-pot recipes. Instead, boil the noodles separately according to package directions, save some of the pasta cooking water for tossing the broccoli turkey pasta sauce with the noodles, and reduce the amount of chicken broth you add to the sauce to just a few tablespoons. ALTERNATIVELY, you can use plant-noodles like zucchini noodles or palm noodles, but you won’t need nearly as much broth.
Alternative Meats – Feel free to use the ground meat of your choice, including ground chicken or lean ground beef.
Swap or Add Veggies – Don’t have broccoli on hand? This recipe will also be delicious with other cruciferous veggies like cauliflower, kale, or cabbage. You can also feel free to add extra veggies to the mix! Note that you may want to sauté some veggies first (e.g. mushrooms) to expel any excess moisture.

Expert Tips

Use the right pasta shape! Short pasta shapes are best for one-pot pasta recipes, though if you have a large enough skillet with a lid, you can use longer ones. Just make sure you’re using relatively hearty noodles with approximately 9-12 minute cook times.
Cut down on prep time with frozen broccoli florets and frozen onions—they’re already washed, trimmed, chopped, and ready to go! And no, you don’t need to defrost them first.
Always grate your own cheese. Not only is it cheaper by weight, but it’ll melt much better than the pre-grated kind that is coated in starch.

Serving Suggestions

One thing I love about this ground turkey and broccoli pasta is that you have your meat, veggies, and starch all on one plate. When you have everything you need in one dish, there’s no need to make any side dishes!

That said, if you’re hosting a dinner party, there are plenty of yummy things to pair with this recipe, like:

Crusty bread for sopping up every last drop of goodness, like my air fryer garlic bread or garlic bread baguette, or soft and squishy crescent roll garlic knots.
Fresh, ripe tomatoes and milky mozzarella like in this burrata caprese salad or hasselback tomato caprese.
Some fresh, crunchy greens tossed in a bright vinaigrette like my Mediterranean chopped salad or La Scala chopped salad.
Don’t forget appetizers for when your guests first arrive. Some good pairs include baked goat cheese tarts, tomato goat cheese bruschetta, or whipped ricotta crostini with honey and lemon.
For a sweet treat after dinner, try my dark chocolate berry bark, chocolate tahini brownies, or strawberry jam sheet cake with cream cheese frosting.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

This ground turkey broccoli pasta is excellent for meal-prep—leftovers are honestly just as good as fresh! Here’s how to store them:

Allow the pasta to cool, then transfer any leftovers to an airtight container (or, better yet, individually portioned containers).
It will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This pasta can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
To reheat, lightly cover with a microwave-safe lid or damp paper towel and microwave at 50% power for 2-3 minutes. Stir and return to the microwave at 50% power as needed to heat to 165ºF.

FAQs

What is the best pasta shape for ground turkey broccoli pasta?

Since this is a 1-pot pasta recipe, you’ll want to reach for a dry pasta shape with a cook time of 9-12 minutes. I typically opt for short pasta shapes with divots (like medium shells called for in the recipe card below), as they’re good for scooping up the broccoli and ground turkey. That said, you’re welcome to use tube or spiral-shaped short pasta.
You can also use longer noodles, but make sure you have a pan that they will fit in without being crowded (which can make them clump together). The only things to avoid are: delicate pasta shapes like angel hair that have short cook times, fresh pasta (which has a much shorter cook time), and legume-based pasta (which can get gummy from the starches).

Does broccoli taste good in pasta?

If you like broccoli and you like pasta, YES. If you don’t like broccoli, no.

Do broccoli and ground turkey go together?

Absolutely! Ground turkey has a very mild flavor which pairs nicely with broccoli’s nutty, slightly sweet, vegetal flavor. I like pairing them in my ground turkey teriyaki rice bowls and often serve stir-fried or roasted broccoli alongside my Asian turkey meatballs.

Related Recipes

More Healthy Pasta Recipes

More Recipes With Ground Meat

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