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    Home » Recipes » Easy Meals

    Quick Turkey Spaghetti Bolognese (Healthy)

    January 5, 2020 By Monika Last Updated July 6, 2022 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Spaghetti bolognese in large shallow white dish with fork and grated cheese in small dish in background.

    This turkey bolognese is a speedy dinner idea the whole family will enjoy.  It is low in fat but has a deliciously rich flavour and comes together in under 30 minutes!

    You might also like my healthy turkey lasagna with vegetables.

    Top down view of turkey bolognese sauce with spaghetti and fork in large white shallow dish, with grated cheese in small dish and white lid in background.

    This healthy turkey bolognese is simple to make and perfect as a weeknight dinner.  It’s the most popular pasta dish at my house and not surprisingly one I tend to make more frequently than others.  It’s super quick and easy to make, requires very little chopping and comes together in under 30 minutes. 

    Even though turkey does not have rich flavour of beef or pork this dish is anything but bland thanks to the simple, but carefully selected combination of ingredients.

    Side view of turkey spaghetti sauce in white bowl with fork, grated cheese in brown dish with spoon, white pan with lid and stripy blue cloth in background.

    Turkey bolognese ingredients

    • Turkey: Use ground turkey with approx. 7% fat. Anything leaner may turn out a little dry.
    • Tomatoes: I used a combination of canned tomatoes, tomato paste and sun dried tomatoes to ensure my tomato sauce was rich and full of flavour. If the sauce is too thick add a splash of water from cooking the pasta.
    • Extras: I like to stir a tablespoon of butter into my bolognese for added flavour but you can omit this step. I also use a bit of soy sauce for more depth, but you can add 0.5-1 teaspoon of Marmite (Vegemite) instead if you prefer. These 2 intensely savoury ingredients can infuse any dish with lots of extra flavour and I strongly recommend that you use one of them in this recipe. As they are very salty, however, I would refrain from adding extra seasoning until your dish is ready.
    Spaghetti bolognese in large white shallow dish with grated cheese in small dish and rack at the top

    Equipment you’ll need

    • Kitchen scale/measuring cup
    • Chopping board and knife
    • Large pan/casserole dish with lid, and spatula
    • Pot (and strainer) for cooking the pasta

    Step-by-step recipe instructions

    1. In a large pan/shallow casserole dish heat up 2 tablespoons of oil, add the onion, garlic and celery and cook slowly for about 3 minutes until softened, stirring often. Add the wine and continue cooking for 2 more minutes.

    Chopped onions and celery in large white shallow dish with wooden spatula.

    2. Push the onion mixture to the side, add the meat and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring all the time to prevent large clusters from forming.

    Turkey mince and chopped onions in large shallow white dish with wooden spatula.

    3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes, oregano, onion granules and 120 ml of water, stir, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  In the meantime cook the pasta in salted water according to packet instructions reserving some of the water from cooking (approx. ½ cup).

    Ground turkey, tomatoes and tomato paste in large shallow white dish with wooden spoon.

    4. Remove the bolognese from the heat, add the butter, soy sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary. Add a splash of water from cooking the pasta if the sauce is too thick. Enjoy!

    Thick tomato meat sauce in large shallow white pan, with white lid in top right corner.

    Top tips and FAQs

    • After you’ve added the meat into the pan break it up as well as you can so it doesn’t cook in large clumps.
    • Season the sauce once it’s cooked, not during cooking, to avoid making it too salty (if you also use either soy sauce or marmite).
    • Reserve some of the water from cooking the pasta (approx. ½ cup) to add into your bolognese if it’s too thick (do this gradually once the sauce is fully cooked).
    • Refrigerate leftover sauce for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze for up to 3 months.
    Spaghetti bolognese in white bowl with fork, grated cheese in brown dish with spoon, spaghetti in pan and stripy blue cloth in background.

    You might also like

    • Meat Stuffed Eggplant Recipe (Turkey)
    • Easy Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Rice
    • Healthy Moist Turkey Meatloaf with Parsley
    • Quick and Easy Tortilla Bake

    If you like this recipe try also my delicious vegan tofu bolognese!

    Keep in touch!

    If you make this healthy turkey bolognese I’d love to know how it turned out for you.  Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!

    Top down view of turkey bolognese sauce with spaghetti and fork in large white shallow dish, with grated cheese in small dish and white lid in background.

    Easy Turkey Spaghetti Bolognese (Healthy)

    This turkey bolognese is a speedy dinner idea the whole family will enjoy.  It is low in fat but has a deliciously rich flavour and comes together in under 30 minutes.
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    Course: Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine: Italian fusion
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 5 servings
    Calories: 556kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Ingredients

    • 1.1 pounds (500 g) ground turkey approx. 7% fat
    • 1 onion finely chopped
    • 1-2 garlic cloves finely chopped
    • ½ celery stalk finely chopped
    • 14.11 ounces (400 g) canned tomatoes 1 can
    • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
    • 4 sun dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped, alternatively use 1.5 tbsp sud dried tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon onion granules
    • 1 tablespoon butter and soy sauce each
    • 3 tablespoons white wine
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • ½ cup (120 ml) water
    • Sea salt and pepper to taste add at the end
    • 11.29 ounces (320 g) raw spaghetti

    Instructions

    • In a large pan/shallow casserole dish heat up 2 tablespoons of oil, add the onion, garlic and celery and cook slowly for about 3 minutes until softened, stirring often. Add the wine and continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
    • Push the onion mixture to the side, add the meat and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring all the time to prevent large clusters from forming.
    • Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes, oregano, onion granules and 120 ml of water, stir, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  In the meantime cook the pasta in salted water according to packet instructions reserving some of the water from cooking (approx. ½ cup).
    • Remove the bolognese from the heat, add the butter, soy sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary. Add a splash of water from cooking the pasta if the sauce is too thick. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • After you’ve added the meat into the pan break it up as well as you can so it doesn’t cook in large clumps.
    • Season the sauce once it’s cooked, not during cooking, to avoid making it too salty (if you also use either soy sauce or marmite).
    • Reserve some of the water from cooking the pasta (approx. ½ cup) to add into your bolognese if it’s too thick (do this gradually once the sauce is fully cooked).
    • Refrigerate leftover sauce for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 860mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 3mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!
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    1. Monika

      January 07, 2020 at 9:36 am

      Thanks Dave, Happy New Year to you too!

      Reply
    2. Dave G

      January 06, 2020 at 11:40 pm

      Looks like a great meal! And Happy New Year!! I've never had Marmite, but am excited to try it in this, so thanks for the recipe!

      Reply

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