Turkey Mince Pasta Recipe with Chilli & Kidney Beans

Turkey mince pasta isn’t something I make as often as some of my other pasta recipes, but this one is really handy when you want an easy dinner without ending up with several pans to wash afterwards. It’s made in the Instant Pot with turkey mince, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chilli, cumin and pasta, so it’s a bit like chilli and pasta have decided to become one meal.

I’m definitely in favour of that sort of arrangement!

It only takes around 20 minutes altogether and pretty much everything cooks together in the Instant Pot. You can eat it exactly as it is or add some grated cheese on top if you fancy it.

Ingredients for turkey mince pasta

This recipe makes four portions. You will need:

• 450g turkey mince
• 150g diced onion
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 750ml beef stock
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
• 340g pasta sauce or passata with garlic and herbs
• 12oz uncooked pasta shapes – penne or rigatoni work well

It’s a fairly straightforward ingredient list and a lot of it is stuff you can keep in the cupboard, which is always useful for those evenings when you’ve somehow reached dinner time without actually deciding what dinner is.

How to make turkey mince pasta in the Instant Pot

Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and add the turkey mince and diced onion.

Stir until the turkey mince is browned.

Add the chilli powder, salt, cumin and garlic and continue stirring for another minute.

Pour in the beef stock and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen anything that’s stuck.

Turn off the Instant Pot and add the rinsed kidney beans.

Pour in the pasta sauce or passata, then add the dried pasta. Press the pasta down gently so that it’s just below the surface of the liquid.

Lock the lid in place and set the vent to sealing.

Use the Manual setting and cook for two minutes.

When the timer finishes, release the vent slowly.

Remove the lid, give everything a good stir and serve.

That’s it. No separate saucepan for the pasta and another pan for the chilli, which is probably my favourite thing about making it this way!

Why cook pasta in the Instant Pot?

The main reason I like the Instant Pot for this recipe is convenience.

Instead of boiling the pasta separately and making the turkey chilli in another pan, everything cooks together.

The pasta also cooks in the stock and tomato sauce, so it absorbs plenty of flavour while it’s cooking.

This isn’t necessarily how I’d cook pasta for every meal – my how to cook pasta guide covers the usual hob method – but for a one-pot recipe like this it works really well.

Which pasta works best?

I’ve found penne or rigatoni work well because they’re sturdy pasta shapes that hold up nicely to pressure cooking.

They also catch plenty of the turkey and tomato mixture, which is exactly what you want.

Smaller pasta shapes may cook more quickly and could become softer under pressure. I wouldn’t automatically swap in macaroni, for example, and assume you’ll get exactly the same texture.

The tested recipe uses 12oz dried pasta, so I’d stick fairly closely to that and use penne or rigatoni for the first attempt.

Why is the pressure cooking time only two minutes?

Two minutes sounds ridiculously short if you’re used to boiling pasta on the hob, but remember that an Instant Pot doesn’t instantly become pressurised when you press the button.

The contents are heating while the pot comes up to pressure, then you have the two-minute pressure-cooking time itself.

Afterwards the pressure is released and everything gets stirred together.

I wouldn’t be tempted to add another five or ten minutes “just to make sure”. Unless, of course, extremely soft pasta is your thing!

Can I make turkey chilli pasta spicier?

The recipe uses one tablespoon of chilli powder along with cumin and garlic.

If you already know you like things considerably hotter, you could experiment with adding some fresh chilli.

I’d make it as written first if you’re cooking for the whole family, though. It’s considerably easier to add heat to your own portion afterwards than convince somebody to eat a bowl of pasta that’s making their eyes water.

Can I add peppers?

Peppers work really nicely with chilli flavours, so they’re an obvious vegetable to experiment with if you want to add something extra.

I wouldn’t start throwing several additional vegetables into the Instant Pot at once, though, because they can release extra liquid and pressure-cooker recipes rely on the balance of liquid and pasta being reasonably accurate.

This recipe already has onion, tomato and kidney beans, so there’s no requirement to add anything else unless you particularly want to.

Can I use passata instead of pasta sauce?

Yes. The tested turkey mince pasta recipe gives you the choice of 340g pasta sauce or passata with garlic and herbs.

If you’re using passata, I’d choose one with garlic and herbs as specified rather than plain passata and expect exactly the same flavour.

Always check what you’ve actually bought too. Pasta sauces can vary quite considerably in ingredients and seasoning.

Can I use another pressure cooker?

This recipe was made using an Instant Pot, so those are the settings and timings I can confidently give you.

Other electric pressure cookers, including some Ninja Foodi models, may have equivalent functions, but I wouldn’t assume the controls, pressure behaviour or timings are identical.

If you’re using a different appliance, check its instructions for the equivalent sauté and pressure-cooking functions.

I’d much rather tell you that than pretend changing the name of the button is definitely the only difference!

Can I make turkey chilli pasta without an Instant Pot?

I haven’t tested this exact recipe using a normal saucepan, so I wouldn’t simply follow the Instant Pot instructions on the hob.

The liquid quantities and timings have been worked around pressure cooking, and pasta behaves differently when it’s simmering uncovered in a saucepan.

What can I serve with turkey mince pasta?

This is already a fairly substantial dinner with turkey mince, pasta, kidney beans and tomato sauce, so you can quite happily serve it straight from the pot.

If you fancy adding something, grated cheese on top works really well.

You could even put individual portions under the grill briefly to melt the cheese if you’re feeling fancy, although obviously make sure whatever dish you’re using is suitable for the grill.

A simple salad or some vegetables on the side would work too, but there’s no requirement to turn every dinner into a banquet!

Is turkey mince pasta healthy?

Turkey mince can be a useful alternative to other minced meats and this particular meal also contains kidney beans, onion and tomato alongside the pasta.

Whether it fits what you personally consider a healthy meal depends on the products you use and what the rest of your diet looks like.

I don’t think there’s much value in declaring a pasta meal automatically “bad” because it contains pasta, particularly when it’s also giving you several other ingredients in the same bowl.

If that’s something you’ve worried about while trying to lose weight, I’ve written much more about whether pasta is healthy.

Is this suitable for Slimming World or Weight Watchers?

If you’re following Slimming World, Weight Watchers or another particular plan, check the exact turkey mince, pasta sauce or passata, stock and any cheese you add against the current plan.

I wouldn’t rely on old claims that the recipe is automatically Syn Free because plans, terminology and products change.

The recipe works perfectly well without trying to give it a diet label.

If you’re looking specifically for pasta ideas that might suit the way you eat, have a look through my Slimming World pasta recipes too.

Can I make this with beef mince?

The recipe has been tested using 450g turkey mince.

Although beef mince is often used in chilli-style dishes, changing the meat can affect the amount of fat and liquid in the pot, and I haven’t tested the pressure-cooker timings with that substitution.

If you want a beef mince recipe, I’d choose one written and tested with beef rather than assuming it’s an identical swap.

Can I use chicken mince?

Again, I haven’t tested the recipe using chicken mince, so I can’t promise it’ll behave exactly the same way.

There are plenty of chicken pasta recipes on JAJ if chicken is what you’ve got and you’d rather follow something specifically designed for it.

Can I make turkey mince pasta ahead?

You can make it ahead, although pasta tends to absorb more sauce as it sits, so expect it to become thicker once it’s been chilled.

If I’m making pasta specifically to eat later, that’s something I always bear in mind. A sauce that seems quite loose when freshly cooked can look completely different after a night in the fridge.

Store leftovers appropriately in the fridge and reheat thoroughly before serving.

Can you freeze turkey mince pasta?

You can freeze cooked pasta dishes, although the pasta may become softer after freezing, defrosting and reheating.

If you’ve never frozen this particular meal before, I’d try one leftover portion first rather than making an enormous batch specifically for the freezer.

That way you can decide whether you like the texture afterwards before committing an entire freezer drawer to turkey pasta!

Turkey mince pasta FAQs

Do I need to cook the pasta first?

No. The 12oz dried pasta goes directly into the Instant Pot with the sauce and other ingredients.

Press it down so that it’s just beneath the surface before pressure cooking.

Do I need to cook the kidney beans first?

The recipe uses a can of kidney beans, rinsed before adding them to the Instant Pot.

Can I use macaroni?

You could experiment, but smaller pasta shapes can cook more quickly under pressure and may become softer.

Penne or rigatoni are the shapes I’ve recommended for this recipe.

Can I add cheese?

Absolutely. You can add grated cheese when serving or melt some over the top if you fancy it.

Is this very spicy?

It contains chilli powder and cumin, so it has chilli flavours, but you can experiment with additional fresh chilli if you prefer considerably more heat.

More easy pasta recipes

If you like easy pasta dinners, have a browse through my main pasta recipes page because there are loads of different ideas there.

My healthy pasta bake recipes are good if you fancy something cheesy from the oven, while my chicken pasta recipes have plenty of ideas if turkey isn’t something you buy very often.

Sometimes the easiest dinners are the ones where everything ends up in one pot and you only have one thing to wash afterwards. I’d happily count that as one of this recipe’s best features!

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