Italian Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey

There’s something about a plate of pasta covered with thick red sauce. Italians have brought us some great food, and great wine. And pasta with a sauce is iconic. I have a recipe for homemade Italian sauce, it takes a few hours to put together, and it is delicious. But, I’m thinking something a little quicker here, something that works on a busy weeknight, or something that you don’t want to spend hours making. Not everyone has the cooking bug as I do. So, here is Italian pasta sauce with ground turkey. 15 minutes of prep, 1/2 hr. cooking and dinner is served, and, it is good.

Cooking on a weeknight is a delicate dance, balancing time prepping the ingredients, cooking the ingredients, and then cleaning the dirty dishes. It’s a reason I see the lines at the fast food restaurants on my way home from work. The food is already cooked, and comes in disposable containers, at worst, a few plates in the dishwasher. Home cooking can’t compete with that. What home cooking has, is satisfaction, that you made dinner yourself, and when someone else says something you cooked tastes good, well, that feels good. It’s healthy, you control what goes in it, you can pronounce the ingredients. Cleanup shouldn’t be too bad, apart from the plates in the dishwasher, most of this dish is a pot, a knife and a cutting board.

It’s interesting that so many Italian dishes are tomato based, yet, the humble tomato didn’t show up in Italy till the mid 16th century. But they certainly knew a good thing when they saw it. It was brought over by the Spanish when they invaded central and south America. It’s a fruit, and it is sweet and delicious. Now, in theory authentic Italian meat sauce could be called a Bolognese sauce, but realistically that would be a bit of a stretch. However, it does share some ingredients; aromatics (mirepoix), meat, tomatoes and Italian seasoning.

Starting with the aromatics. A mirepoix is not just a base for soups and stews. It is the savory base for so many dishes, stuffed poblanos is one, and this meat sauce is another example. The Italians call it soffritto. And for this dish it’s onion, pepper and garlic, chopped fine and cooked over medium heat with a little olive oil. The idea is to soften everything so they can release their flavors and aromas. Keep the pan covered and stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning.

Now for the meat. There are lots of options here. Traditional for Bolognese sauce is veal and pancetta. Well, as I wander away from red meat for something healthier, it appears that bird seems to fit the bill. And for as much as I love the flavor that pancetta brings to a dish, I really don’t eat it these days. With a bird comes the age old question, white or dark meat. Well, I’ve found dark meat to be more flavorful. And, the choice between chicken and turkey, well, turkey has a little more flavor than chicken. So ground turkey is my choice. Added to the vegetables when they’re cooked, break it up as it cooks. Remember when handling raw meat to clean up, read my safe food prep post for more info.

Now for the rest. Well, it’s a tomato based sauce, so a can of diced tomatoes. I use no salt added, I’m reducing my sodium intake. Be aware that pretty much anything in a can has a lot of salt, luckily alternatives are usually on the same shelf. Because tomato juice is a little thin, add a tablespoon of tomato paste, that will add body to the sauce. Helps it stick to the pasta. Italian seasonings will round out the ingredients list. Basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, and for some warmth, a pinch of ground red pepper flakes. I prefer them to regular red pepper flakes, the warmth mixes better

Now, everyone is at the party, time to let them mix and have some fun. Bring to a boil, stirring. Lower the heat, cover and let cook 1/2 hr. You can cook for longer if you like, but I’ve found 1/2 hr. Is good. While the sauce is cooking, time to choose a pasta. True Bolognese sauce calls for flat pasta like tagliatelle, but spaghetti works, cavatappi works well too. Pasta choice is a personal thing. When the pasta is cooked, drain, add a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, just to dress it up a bit. Serve the Italian pasta sauce with ground turkey over the pasta and enjoy. Thank you for reading, and enjoy dinner.