Penne with Ground Turkey, Fennel & Eggplant
Fennel turns sweet and tender when it hits a hot pan. That is exactly why it works next to cubed eggplant and browned turkey in this 15-minute dinner. Three tablespoons of reduced-fat cream cheese melt into the sautéed vegetables and coat the whole wheat penne without a traditional cream sauce.
One pan (plus the pasta pot), 941 kcal, 37g of protein, and 23g of fiber.
Fennel turns sweet and tender when it hits a hot pan. That is exactly why it works next to cubed eggplant and browned turkey in this 15-minute dinner. Three tablespoons of reduced-fat cream cheese melt into the sautéed vegetables and coat the whole wheat penne without a traditional cream sauce.
One pan (plus the pasta pot), 941 kcal, 37g of protein, and 23g of fiber.
Ingredients
- penne, whole wheat 3 ounces
- fennel 1
- eggplant 1
- garlic 1 clove
- sun-dried tomatoes 2 pieces
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- 99% lean ground turkey breast 3 ounces
- Italian seasoning 2 teaspoons
- cream cheese, reduced fat 3 tablespoons
Method
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Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
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Wash the fennel, cut a slice from the bottom and remove the stems. Halve the fennel, remove the hard core and slice the fennel. Cut the eggplant into ½ inch cubes. Finely chop the garlic clove and slice the sun-dried tomatoes.
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Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Brown the ground turkey and after 3 minutes, add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the fennel, eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Sauté the vegetables for 6 minutes until they are soft.
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Then add the cream cheese to the pan with vegetables. Heat it for another minute. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
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Stir the drained penne into the pan with the vegetables.
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Serve the pasta in a deep plate.
Let the eggplant and fennel sit against the pan between stirs. Constant stirring steams them instead of browning, and the caramelized edges are where the sweetness comes from.
Behind this recipe
Is 37g of protein enough for a dinner?
Research on per-meal protein utilization studied the range from 20 to 40 grams per sitting. This dinner's 37g falls in the middle of that range. The research suggests muscle protein synthesis responds to protein at each meal, though individual needs vary with body weight and activity level.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I use regular penne instead of whole wheat?
Yes. The recipe works with any short pasta. Whole wheat penne contributes roughly 5g of the 23g total fiber, so a swap to regular penne lowers the fiber count. The rest of the fiber comes from the fennel and eggplant.
What does fennel taste like in this dish?
Raw fennel has a mild anise flavor that most people either love or have never tried. When sautéed for six minutes, the anise taste mellows and the fennel turns sweet and tender. In this recipe, it tastes more like a mild, slightly sweet vegetable than anything resembling licorice.
