Turkey Bolognese
Bolognese (bow·luh·neiz) is a hearty and slow cooked pasta sauce with tomatoes, veggies, and meat. Our weeknight version uses a super flavorful spice blend to get all the great flavor in a fraction of the time. Spicing a leaner protein like ground turkey is a great way to mimic Italian sausage. Add nutrient dense carrots and other vegetables into the sauce to (sneakily) add more veggie content to a meal!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time45 minutes mins
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Dani Bowen
Large pan
Baking sheet
Baking dish
- 1-2 carrots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 16 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp Hungarian spice blend
- 1 Ib spaghetti
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Peel and grate carrots. Mince or grate garlic. Small dice onion. Remove thyme leaves from stem.
Using a large pot bring 4 qts of salted water to a boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add spaghetti and cook for 8-12 min until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and toss with 1 tbsp oil.
While the pasta is cooking make the Bolognese sauce. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add turkey, Hungarian spice blend and salt and pepper. Cook, breaking apart with a spoon until turkey is fully cooked, about 6-8 minutes. Add onion and carrot and cook another 3-4 min until softened picking up all the brown bits from the pan. Add garlic and thyme, cook another minute.
Add tomato sauce, pasta water and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 8-10 min until sauce has reduced and flavors have incorporated.