Victoria Hamilton: Recently I’ve had to get creative with pasta. I have a friend who has had to switch to a low potassium diet, and wouldn’t you know it, tomato-based sauces are very high in potassium. But I’ve toyed with some recipes and really liked this one I came up with that used ground lean turkey, a versatile protein. I even found it for 30% off and threw it in the freezer.
This is comfort food in a big bowl! And it’s nice to change up pasta night from tomato based sauces. The great thing about this dish is, you can extend it with more of any of the vegetables, or even more pasta. It’s a great recipe to change up with your own additions.
This is delicious, filling and pasta-rific! Enjoy!
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 a red or yellow pepper (or more if you like!) cut into chunks.
- 1 or 2 zucchini diced coarsely (2 small or 1 medium to large)
- 1-1/2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms
- 1-1/2 cups uncooked pasta – I used farfalle
- 1 teaspoon garlic: freshly minced or minced in a jar.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Old Bay
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 to 1-1/2 cups grated cheddar – my preference was an old cheddar. Suit your own taste.
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- concentrated bouillon – 1 to 2 tablespoons liquid bouillon to taste: liquid bouillon can be salty, so start with 1 tablespoon and taste before adding more!
- A scoop of the pasta water
- Olive oil
-
Start pasta cooking in boiling water; you’ll cook this while the rest of the meal is being prepared. Undercook slightly and do not drain the pasta immediately, as you will use some of the pasta water!
-
While the pasta is cooking on the stove, in an electric or stovetop frying pan cook the ground turkey and then remove from pan with slotted spoon. Set aside.
-
Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in that same pan, and start the peppers frying for 5 – 7 minutes, add mushroom and cook for a couple of more minutes. Lastly add the thickly diced zucchini. Cook until all veg are tender, but not mushy. Keep a close eye on the zucchini; it can go from perfect to mush in the time it takes to say it. If you’re using fresh garlic, add it to pan 1 – 2 minutes before veggies are done.
-
Add turkey back into pan. Add seasonings: if using the jarred garlic add it now, as well as the garlic powder, onion salt, Old Bay, black pepper and the concentrated bouillon.
-
Add the grated cheddar and cooked pasta now, as well as a little of the pasta water. Stir and add the parmesan. The melted cheese and pasta water will make a sauce. If it’s too dry, add a little more of the pasta water until the desired consistency is reached.
-
Serve immediately!