Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta

This Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta is a healthy one pot dinner! It's made with gluten free orzo, Italian seasoning, lemon, and Parmesan cheese.

If you're looking for a weeknight meal that's ready in 30 minutes, look no further than this Ground Turkey Orzo Pasta. It's made in one pot, which means maximum flavor with minimal cleanup!

This pasta has been on rotation in our house over the past few months for good reason. It's made using only a few simple ingredients and cooking it doesn't produce a mountain of dishes.

It's made with ground turkey that's sautéed in a skillet on the stove top along with garlic and shallots. Orzo pasta is added to the skillet and simmers in some chicken broth until tender and creamy.

The pasta is then tossed with a bunch of fresh spinach, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Basil, parsley, or any herbs of choice may be used to garnish the dish.

I love this pasta, because it's both healthy and satisfying. The texture is similar to risotto, but it's actually easier to prepare than that most quintessential of Italian dishes.

Jump to:

• What Is Orzo?
• Ingredients For Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta
• How To Add Flavor To Ground Turkey
• How To Make Turkey Spinach Pasta
• How To Get The Best Texture
• What To Serve With Turkey Spinach Pasta
• How Long Does This Pasta Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta

What Is Orzo?

Orzo is a type of pasta that is shaped like a grain of rice. It's made from flour just like any other type of pasta even though its shape might suggest otherwise.

Orzo is used extensively in Mediterranean and Italian cuisines. It's perfect for light pasta dishes, salads, soups, and recipes like these Greek Stuffed Peppers.

It looks a lot like Arborio rice but the two are not the same thing. Arborio rice is actually a type of rice and is used to make risotto. Arborio rice is also gluten free whereas orzo pasta is not.

To make this recipe gluten free, I opted for gluten free orzo pasta. Gluten free orzo may be available in specialty or health food grocery stores, or available for purchase online.

Feel free to use regular orzo if gluten is not an issue for you. Regular orzo is available in the pasta aisle of your local grocery store.

Ingredients For Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta

The only steps needed to get started on this pasta are to mince the garlic and shallots (or onions) and to roughly chop the spinach.

• Keep in mind that ground turkey sausage may be used in place of regular ground turkey and ground chicken can be subbed for turkey if necessary.
• Feel free to swap out the spinach for any leafy greens of choice. Curley or lacinato kale, Swiss chard, collards, or arugula may be used in place of fresh spinach.

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 6 cloves Garlic
• 2 Shallots (or 1 small onion)
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (split)
• 1 lb. Ground Turkey
• 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• ¼ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt (split)
• ½ tsp. Pepper
• 12 oz. Gluten Free Orzo Pasta (or regular orzo if not gluten free)
• 4 packed cups Spinach (or leafy greens of choice)
• 4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• ½ cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded) (can sub Asiago or Pecorino Romano)
• 1 Lemon (zest and juice)
• Fresh Basil or herbs of choice (for garnish)

How To Add Flavor To Ground Turkey

I find ground turkey to be a great ingredient, because it's a great source of protein, but lighter than most ground meats and absorbs the flavors of just about anything that's added to it.

It works as sort of a 'blank canvas', lending itself to all kinds of dishes, from meatballs to chili to stuffed peppers.

This recipe is inspired by Italian flavors, so the turkey is sautéed with some garlic and shallots (or onions), Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes for heat.

The ground turkey is browned in a skillet, removed, and then returned to the dish after the pasta has cooked. The remaining ingredients are sautéed in the fat from the turkey, providing a bit of extra flavor.

As mentioned, you can sub ground turkey Italian sausage for extra flavor and ground chicken may be used in place of turkey.

1. Start by heating a large skillet to medium high on the stove top.
2. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet.
3. Once heated, place 1 lb. of ground turkey in the skillet.
4. Add 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, and ½ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper to the turkey.
5. Sauté the ground turkey for 8-10 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks.
6. Once the turkey is fully cooked, remove it from the skillet and set aside.

Love ground turkey? Check out these recipes!

• Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls
• Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• BBQ Turkey Meatballs
• Korean Turkey Bowls

How To Make Turkey Spinach Pasta

This Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta feels like a 'cheater risotto' in that the final dish resembles risotto, but it's easier to prepare and made using only one pan.

1. Start by mincing 6 cloves of garlic and 2 shallots (or 1 small onion).
2. Roughly chop 4 packed cups of spinach (or leafy greens of choice).
3. After the cooked turkey has been removed, add another Tbsp. of olive oil to the skillet.
4. Once heated, add the minced garlic and shallots and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
5. Add 12 oz. gluten free orzo pasta (or regular orzo pasta if not gluten free) to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. This helps to brown the pasta slightly, creating a slightly toasty flavor.
6. Pour 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth along with another ½ tsp. kosher salt into the skillet and stir until combined.
7. Turn the heat to high and bring the pasta to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. The texture will be creamy and the pasta 'al dente' at this point.

Be careful not to overcook the pasta, or it might become mushy.

How To Get The Best Texture

Anyone who has ever cooked with gluten free pasta knows that achieving the optimal texture can be a challenge.

I recommend using a high quality brand of gluten free pasta and cooking it only to al dente. Once the pasta is al dente, reduce the heat, add the rest of the ingredients, and stir only until incorporated.

I find that the less gluten free pasta is messed with, the better it cooperates.

1. Once the pasta is al dente, reduce the heat to low and add the chopped spinach (or greens of choice), the cooked turkey, ½ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (or cheese of choice), and the zest of 1 lemon.
2. Fold all of the ingredients together just until combined.
3. Continue to cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted and the cheese melted.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and serve.

Feel free to add more cheese if you prefer. Any hard, salty cheese such as Asiago or Pecorino Romano may be used in place of Parmesan.

The lemon can be grated using a Microplane or any small zester.

What To Serve With Turkey Spinach Pasta

This pasta is savory and full of earthy flavor from the spinach. The Parmesan makes it a little salty, the lemon zest brightens it up, and the crushed red pepper flakes give it a hint of spice.

I find that squeezing some lemon juice over the top right before serving wakes up all of the flavors, along with some freshly torn basil leaves.

You can also garnish it with fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary, or any herbs of choice.

I love pasta dishes like this one with a bright and flavorful side salad. It goes great with a Caesar salad, Greek salad, or a leafy green salad with Italian dressing.

This Italian green bean salad, marinated tomato salad, or pickled beet salad are perfect paired with pasta dishes.

Roasted vegetables like these garlic roasted green beans and Parmesan roasted cauliflower also make for a great pairing.

How Long Does This Pasta Last In The Fridge?

Any leftover Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta may be stored for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Make sure to allow the pasta to come to room temperature before transferring to the fridge for storage.

Can It Be Frozen?

Cooked orzo may be frozen on its own, but freezing the final dish would adversely effect the texture.

For best results, I recommend enjoying this pasta right away, or within a few days.

Love pasta? Check out these recipes!

• One Pot Veggie Pasta
• Chicken Sausage Spaghetti
• Kale Pancetta Pasta
• Chicken Marsala Pasta
• Cajun Chicken Orzo Pasta

Looking For More One Pot Pasta Recipes? Don't Miss These!

One Pot Creamy Sausage Gnocchi

One Pot Pasta and Peas

Lemon Ricotta Pasta (One Pot)