This healthy turkey bolognese is made with lean ground turkey, no butter or oil, and lots of spices and veggies to bring a flavorful and lighter version of your favorite comfort food to your family’s dinner table.
I am all about some good comfort food. I know we all live really stressful lives and I think it is a myth that you shouldn’t engage in emotional eating. Of course there are healthy boundaries, but food is meant to be enjoyed! And I don’t know about you but when I think comfort food I think pasta! This turkey bolognese does a great job of taking our favorite pasta dish and turning it into a meal that we can feel good about and won’t weigh us down all night long. I used lean ground turkey, no oil or butter, lots of great spices, and my favorite veggies to turn this sauce into a flavorful HEALTHY masterpiece that we love in our house and I think you will too.
I poured mine over Banza chickpea pasta in order to add even more fiber and protein to this dish. But there are so many types of veggie pastas out there now you can choose whichever you like best! You can also use your favorite whole wheat pasta, or if you are looking for something even lighter you can have it over spiralized veggies or spaghetti squash.
After you try this if you are looking for more great pasta sauce ideas you should check out my homemade marinara and my cauliflower “alfredo” sauce (that is actually vegan!).
Let’s Make Turkey Bolognese!
This sauce isn’t much more complicated than making a normal meat sauce. I do recommend cooking the turkey until it is done before adding the tomatoes and other ingredients (steps 1 and 2 below) this way you know it is cooked through. Once you add the tomatoes it is harder to tell when the meat is no longer pink.
Speaking of tomatoes, try to get crushed if you can. I think this creates the best texture. Diced will be a little too chunky and less saucy, and you could use tomato sauce, but I think crushed makes it taste a little more fresh and “real” for lack of a better word.
I recommend using a dry white wine live a sauvignon blanc or even a pinot grigio. You don’t want to add too much sugar and sweetness to the sauce.
Other than that you can feel free to play around with the spices and veggies if you want to add anything else (I think some rosemary or peas could be fun!) but for the traditional bolognese you will get that below. Like I mentioned earlier in the post I served this with Banza but you can use any pasta you want!
In addition to the listed ingredients, you will need:
- a large pan, a spatula, and some oil for sauteeing
- a knife to chop the veggies
Enjoy your healthy pasta night!
Print
Turkey Bolognese
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free
This healthy turkey bolognese is made with lean ground turkey, no butter or oil, and lots of spices and veggies to bring a flavorful and lighter version of your favorite comfort food to your family’s dinner table.
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup matchstick carrots, chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1 pack Banza pasta
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium/high heat, saute onion, carrot, and garlic until fragrant (about two minutes). Add ground turkey and cook through, then season with salt and pepper.
- Add crushed tomatoes, wine, oregano, and bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes to thicken.
- Pour over pasta of choice (I used a box of Banza)
Notes
You can use any pasta you want with this!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of sauce
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know your thoughts! If you remake on Instagram don’t forget to tag me at @donutworry_behealthy so I can see your creation and share in my stories!
↓PIN ME FOR LATER↓
