Creamy Lemon-Basil Turkey Rigatoni
with Zucchini
- Wheat
- Milk
The bright, fresh flavor of basil balances a rich, creamy sauce in this cozy bowl of pasta that's perfect for any night of the week. Garlicky ground pork joins tender zucchini in a lemon-infused basil cream sauce that coats rigatoni pasta. A final garnish of crisp scallion greens ties this quick and comforting meal together.
Ingredients
6 ounce
Rigatoni Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
10 ounce
Ground Turkey
1 unit
Zucchini
2 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Lemon
2 unit
Scallions
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
1 ounce
Basil Paste
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise; slice crosswise into ½-inch-thick half-moons. Zest and quarter lemon.
Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.
Reserve ¾ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add pork*, scallion whites, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until lightly browned, 2-4 minutes.
Add zucchini and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until zucchini is tender and pork is cooked through, 2-3 minutes more.
Stir in cream sauce base, cream cheese, basil paste, and ¼ cup pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4 servings). Simmer until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. To pan with sauce, add drained rigatoni and as much lemon juice and lemon zest as you like (we used the juice from one wedge and a pinch of zest; two wedges and a large pinch of zest for 4 servings). Toss to coat. (TIP: If needed, stir in additional reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is coated in a creamy sauce.) Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Divide pasta between shallow bowls. Top with scallion greens. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved this creamy, delicious dish, though some found it bland. Adding extra basil paste boosted the flavor 🌿.
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to prepare, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
- Suggestions: Consider using broccoli instead of zucchini for a firmer texture. Some preferred heavy cream over cream cheese for less sweetness.
- Portions: Generous servings; some found it made more than expected, up to 6 portions.
Reviews from our home cooks
Overall solid dish! Easy and delicious. The cream sauce base is very bland, which thankfully, was helped with the basil paste. It could have used more basil paste overall!
Very filling. Had more than 3 servings- more like 6!
I really liked this meal we got turkey instead of pork.
It gets a little too sweet with cream cheese we often use much less (if any) of that and had heavy cream instead.
