This turkey bolognese is a speedy dinner idea the whole family will enjoy. It is low in fat, has a deliciously rich flavour, requires minimal preparation and comes together in as little as 30 minutes!
This turkey bolognese has the kind of depth of flavour that's usually reserved for slow-cooked dishes. Amazingly, however, it comes together in only 30 minutes!
Even though turkey does not have the rich flavour of beef or pork bolognese with turkey is anything but bland thanks to the simple, but carefully selected combination of ingredients.
What is bolognese sauce
Although bolognese sauce was invented in Italy 'spaghetti bolognese', which tends to be popular outside of Italy, is not quite the same dish. The original bolognese sauce contains little tomato and focuses primarily on the meat. It's served with thick tagliatelle pasta rather than spaghetti.
'Spaghetti bolognese' on the other hand, typically consists of meat cooked in a tomato sauce, which makes it a little lighter and suitable to serve with (thinner than tagliatelle) spaghetti pasta.
'Spaghetti bolognese' is, in fact, so popular that there are endless versions of this dish, and using turkey rather than beef is one of them. (You might also like vegan bolognese with tofu!)
How is turkey bolognese different from beef bolognese
Cooking time: Turkey does not need prolonged cooking (as does beef) to become tender so your turkey bolognese sauce can be done in a much shorter time.
Ingredients: There is no need to add milk, which is sometimes used to tenderise beef and add creaminess to the sauce.
Nutrition: Turkey tends to be lower in saturated fat than beef, so is a healthy choice for everyday cooking.
Turkey bolognese ingredients and substitutions
- Ground turkey
I recommend using ground turkey with approx. 7% fat. Anything leaner may turn out a little dry.
- Tomatoes
I used a combination of canned tomatoes, tomato puree 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.
- Vegetables
I used classic onion, garlic and celery, but you can also add finely diced carrot into the mixture.
- Herbs
I opted for oregano, but Italian herbs, mixed herbs or herbes de Provence are good alternatives.
- Wine
Adds complexity and richness of flavour.
- Butter
Butter adds richness and flavour, but if you are counting calories you can omit it.
- Soy sauce
I find that even a small amount of soy sauce enhances the flavour of turkey and it works really well in this dish (I've also used it in turkey stuffed peppers and turkey lasagna).
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. Fry onion: In a large pan/shallow casserole dish heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil, add the onion, garlic and celery and cook gently for about 4 minutes until softened, stirring often.
2. Add wine: Pour in the wine and continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes.
3. Add turkey: Push the onion mixture to the side, add the meat and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring all the time until the mixture is crumbly and has no large clusters of meat in it.
4. Add tomatoes: the tomatoes, tomato puree, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, onion granules and half a cup (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).
5. Adjust seasoning: Remove your turkey bolognese from the heat, add the butter, soy sauce and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add a splash of water from cooking the pasta if the sauce is too thick. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
Bolognese with turkey is delicious with a little parmesan, but can also be served with vegetable side dishes as part of a healthy meal. These can be steamed broccoli or green beans, but grilled vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini or eggplant work well, too. I also like it with balsamic root vegetables or honey miso carrots!
Top tips
- Cooking: 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.
- How to season: Season the sauce once it’s cooked, not during cooking, to avoid making it too salty (since you've added soy sauce).
- Serving: Reserve some of the water from cooking the pasta (approx. ½ cup) to adjust the consistency of your sauce, if needed (do this gradually once the sauce is fully cooked).
- Storing: Refrigerate leftover sauce for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
More ground turkey dinners to try next
- Meat Stuffed Eggplant Recipe (Turkey)
- Easy Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Vegetables
- Meatloaf with Oats
- Quick and Easy Tortilla Bake
See also these other easy, delicious meal ideas!
Keep in touch!
If you make this healthy turkey spaghetti bolognese I’d love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Recipe
Turkey Spaghetti Bolognese (Healthy)
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
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- Sea salt and pepper to taste add at the end
- 11.29 ounces (320 g) uncooked 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
*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.
Monika says
Thanks Dave, Happy New Year to you too!
Dave G says
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!