High-Protein Penne with Ground Turkey & Mushrooms

Penne with Ground Turkey & Mushrooms is the protein-packed dinner you should try this week. With its layers of flavor from the juicy, antioxidant-rich tomatoes, hearty mushrooms and lean ground turkey, you’ll be wishing for leftovers. Creamy cottage cheese is blended with Parmesan to amplify the protein and provide a rich base and topping for this dish. It’s a genius substitute for a traditional heavy cream sauce. Add heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic and spices, and you have a depth of deliciousness that you won’t believe comes together in only 30 minutes. Keep reading for our expert tips on recommended cooking techniques, ingredient choices and more!

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Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Be sure to blend the cottage cheese. Otherwise, the curds will have an unappealing texture and appearance.
• Roasting the tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness, is less messy and frees up time to multitask in the kitchen.
• While we suggest using penne, you can also opt for shells, rigatoni, rotini, farfalle or whatever pasta you have on hand. Just be careful not to overcook the pasta, as it will continue to cook further in the sauce.

Nutrition Notes

• Whole-wheat penne has almost twice the fiber of regular white pasta, and all of that extra fiber adds up. You should be eating at least 28 grams of fiber per day, so every little bit helps. Fiber is important not only for digestive regularity but also for keeping your microbiome healthy, which impacts everything from inflammation to brain health. 
• Ground turkey is an excellent substitute for lean ground beef if you don’t eat red meat, want more inexpensive meat or you prefer the flavor over beef. It’s high in protein, which makes it a great choice for anyone on a low-carb diet pattern, and also contains zinc, which is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. 
• Cremini mushrooms are the meatier version of a white button mushroom. Mushrooms are brimming with B vitamins—super important to keep your metabolism running smoothly. You may also find your mushrooms have vitamin D (if they were grown in ultraviolet light), so look on the package to see if you hit the vitamin D jackpot with your mushrooms. 
• Cottage cheese is trendy right now, but we always knew it was a nutrition powerhouse. It’s high in protein, which will help keep you full and satisfied. It stands in for heavy cream in this recipe, but doesn’t rack up nearly the amount of saturated fat you’d get from using cream, even if you choose full-fat cottage cheese over the 2% variety.