By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 2, 2026
Serves 6
296 cal · 30 min
Skillet Pasta Dinner
Recipe GLPRdd8dc9b8b653db
A complete, one-pan pasta dinner featuring seasoned ground turkey cooked with aromatic onions and garlic, combined with tomato sauce, water, and pasta all simmered together in one skillet. Fresh or frozen vegetables are stirred in during the final stage of cooking to add color, nutrition, and flavor. This comforting dish is ready in about 30 minutes and serves six people.
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Ingredients
1/2 pound ground turkey (85% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup water
8 ounces uncooked tube pasta (ziti, penne, or macaroni)
2 cups fresh or frozen vegetables (zucchini and carrots)
Directions
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.
Heat a large skillet or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks.
Once the turkey is mostly browned, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Continue cooking and stirring until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, the onion becomes translucent, and the garlic is fragrant, approximately 5–7 minutes total.
Carefully pour off any excess grease from the skillet, leaving just enough to coat the bottom.
Add the tomato sauce, water, and uncooked pasta to the skillet. Stir well to combine and distribute the pasta evenly.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover the skillet with a lid. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Stir in the fresh or frozen vegetables (zucchini and carrots). Replace the lid and continue simmering until the pasta is tender and the vegetables are cooked through, approximately 10 more minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve hot.
Comments
Ground turkey and pasta are reliable staples at every Charlotte chain, and tomato sauce costs pennies; the vague "vegetables" suggest frozen mixed vegetables, which keeps cost near $1.50 per serving. The stated 30 minutes ignores browning the turkey and simmering the pasta in sauce, which adds 10 minutes in practice—budget 40 for a weeknight. This is a genuine family feeder that reheats well and needs no special ingredient hunts, but it's a competent weeknight pasta, not a standout, and the recipe's sketchiness on vegetable type and sauce consistency makes execution a guess.
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