Recipe for Veggie-Loaded One-Pot Whole-Wheat Pasta with Ground Turkey and Mushrooms

Whole-wheat pasta with ground turkey and mushrooms is a family-friendly recipe that you can make on a weekend or busy weeknight. It’s also a great recipe for sneaking in vegetables. 

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You can tweak it to make it more appealing to anyone in your household. For example, kids may have a favorite shape of pasta, such as spaghetti or elbows, or they may prefer canned marinara sauce instead of canned tomatoes. 

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Variations

• To “sneak” in some vegetables, try adding pureed cooked butternut squash or cauliflower.
• Veggie lovers may enjoy extra vegetables in chunks like bell peppers, cauliflower, or broccoli. Just cook them lightly when you cook the mushrooms.
• To make a casserole, you can bake the dish after cooking it in the pot. Top it with cheese and bake it until the cheese it bubbly.

Special Diets

• Gluten-free: Instead of whole-wheat pasta, use pasta made from brown rice, chickpeas, or black beans
• Low-carb or keto: Use cooked cauliflower, hearts of palm, shirataki noodles, or spiralized vegetables instead of whole-wheat pasta
• Dairy-free: Omit the cheese
• Plant-based or vegan: Instead of ground turkey, use plant protein or textured soy (vegetable) protein. Omit the cheese

Recipe for Whole-Wheat Pasta with Ground Turkey and Mushrooms

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 diced onion
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 6 to 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms 
• 1 lb of lean ground turkey
• 2 cups of low-sodium broth 
• 6 ounces of whole-grain or bean pasta
• 1 15-ounce can of Italian-seasoned tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano 
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• Black pepper to taste
• 6 to 8 ounces of spinach leaves 

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion, garlic, and mushrooms for 4 minutes. 
2. Add the lean ground turkey and cook, stirring often. 
3. Add the broth and pasta, bring to a boil, and simmer until the pasta is nearly al dente. 
4. Stir in the Italian-seasoned tomatoes, fresh or dried basil and oregano, and pepper to taste. Heat, stir in the spinach leaves, and turn off the heat. 
5. Serve with ¼ cup of low-fat parmesan cheese per person, if desired.

Nutrition information per serving: calories: 300 kcal; total fat: 10 g; total carbohydrates: 30 g; sugar: 6 g; fiber: 6 g; protein: 25 g; sodium: 400 mg; cholesterol: 85 mg

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