Pink Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey
Pink Pasta Sauce, also known as pink sauce pasta, is a rich and creamy tomato sauce made with cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and tomato puree. The addition of ground turkey and fresh spinach make this a satisfying and delicious weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: lunch, dinner
- Method: stove top cooking
- Cuisine: Italian American
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces dry pasta*
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
- 1 block cream cheese (8 ounces)
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 teaspoon salt (divided)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (divided)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (divided)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside.
- In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Cook the ground turkey and seasonings over medium heat until fully cooked and no longer pink in the middle. Remove the cooked turkey from the pan and set it aside.
- In the same large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes, diced onions, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme. Cook until the tomatoes are soft, bubbly, and falling apart, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the tomato puree and continue cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add the block of cream cheese and the shredded parmesan cheese. Stir the cheeses in until melted and thoroughly combined. This is when your pasta sauce will turn from red to pink/orange.
- Remove from heat. Mix in the fresh spinach until the spinach softens and wilts.
- Add the ground turkey and the cooked pasta to the sauce. Mix until thoroughly combined. If your Pink Pasta Sauce is too thick, slowly add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out. I prefer to add 1/2 cup.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- *I made the original recipe using gluten-free pasta, making this a gluten-free recipe. I've since updated the recipe to indicate that you can use whatever type of pasta you prefer.
- This pasta dish will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-5 days if stored in a sealed, airtight container.
- The nutrition information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 596
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 810.5 mg
- Fat: 28.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.2 g
- Fiber: 4.2 g
- Protein: 31.8 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg