Warm Hearth High Protein Pasta (Printable)
A comforting pasta dish with lean turkey, beans, and whole wheat pasta, perfect for a wholesome meal.
# List of ingredients:
→ Proteins
01 - 10.5 oz lean ground turkey
02 - 1 can (14 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
03 - 3.5 oz cottage cheese (low-fat or regular)
→ Pasta
04 - 10.5 oz whole wheat penne or rigatoni
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
08 - 3.5 oz baby spinach
→ Tomatoes & Sauce
09 - 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
10 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
11 - 1 tsp dried oregano
12 - 1 tsp dried basil
13 - ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
→ Pantry
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Topping (optional)
16 - 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese
17 - Fresh basil leaves
# Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the whole wheat pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent.
03 - Add lean ground turkey, breaking it up with a spatula, and cook until browned, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
04 - Stir in minced garlic and diced red bell pepper, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
05 - Incorporate tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir well and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
06 - Add cannellini beans and baby spinach, cooking until spinach wilts and beans are warmed through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
07 - Fold in cottage cheese and cook for about 1 minute until thoroughly mixed and heated.
08 - Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss over low heat for 2 minutes, ensuring all ingredients are well combined and heated.
09 - Serve immediately, optionally topped with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- One skillet, real food, and enough protein to keep you satisfied for hours without the heaviness that usually comes with it.
- It comes together faster than ordering delivery, and tastes like you've been simmering something all day.
- Whole wheat pasta and beans mean this actually sticks with you, perfect for those nights when you need comfort but also need to feel good about what you're eating.
02 -
- Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—their starchy liquid will make the sauce gluey if you don't, a mistake I made exactly once.
- The cottage cheese curdles if the sauce is too hot when you add it, so keep things at a gentle simmer after you fold it in.
- Whole wheat pasta continues absorbing sauce as it sits, so if you're not eating immediately, hold back some pasta water to loosen things up just before serving.
03 -
- The magic moment is when you taste the sauce and decide you've hit the salt level exactly right—season in small increments and keep tasting because you can't unsalt something.
- If your sauce seems thin after adding the tomatoes, let it bubble uncovered for a few extra minutes; you can always thin it later with pasta water, but you can't thicken it once it's soupy.