Enjoy a lighter twist on spaghetti with ground turkey in our best Bolognese sauce recipe. Made with simple ingredients, it's a flavorful and satisfying meal for any occasion. With tender turkey and savory sauce, this dish is sure to become a family favorite.
Try our delicious spaghetti with ground turkey recipe tonight! It's savory, comforting, and satisfying, yet lighter than traditional beef Bolognese. Our whole family loved it—seconds were a must, and the pot was empty in no time! Perfect for a hearty, wholesome, and easy dinner.
Try more of our tomato sauces for pasta: Italian Tomato Sugo, Garlicky Marinara Sauce, or Neapolitan Pizza Sauce, which is also great with pasta. Or make the American version of Bolognese sauce: New England Chop Suey.
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😋Why will you love this recipe?
- Lighter: This ground turkey spaghetti recipe is on the lighter side compared to traditional Bolognese made with red meat, making it a healthier choice without sacrificing flavor. But if you have some ground beef, make this Air Fryer Meatloaf; it is delicious.
- It's a great way to use ground turkey, providing a leaner protein option that's delicious and satisfying.
- Budget-friendly: The turkey meat sauce uses inexpensive ingredients without compromising taste or quality.
- Quick and easy prep: A perfect recipe for busy weeknights when you need a delicious meal on the table in no time.
- Hearty and wholesome: This Italian turkey recipe is great for family dinners, pleasing both kids and adults alike.
Try more Italian pasta recipes: Chicken Pomodoro, Tomato and Ricotta Pasta, or Gnocchi Gorgonzola.
📋Recipe ingredients
- Ground turkey comes in various types, but I prefer the regular one, blending white and dark meat. Lean ground turkey breast should be ok, but it can be drier than a white and dark meat mixture. Choose based on your preference for texture and flavor in your dishes.
- Try our Air Fryer Turkey Burgers or Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs next.
- Tomatoes: Tomato puree or passata and two tablespoons of tomato paste.
- Bacon: A few rashers, chopped into bits. You can skip it if you want, but it adds great flavor to the sauce.
- Parmesan: Preferably freshly grated from a wedge of cheese. You will need some to stir into the turkey Bolognese sauce and a bit extra to grate over your plate of spaghetti and turkey.
- Vegetables: Onion, garlic, and carrots. You can add two small celery stalks if you have them (I forgot to buy them).
- Italian spices and herbs: Fresh basil leaves, dry oregano, rosemary, bay leaves, sugar, red pepper flakes, fine sea salt, ground black pepper, and a chicken stock cube. You can garnish the dish with fresh parsley and more basil.
- Red wine is optional, but I always feel it belongs in a good Bolognese-style sauce. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use alcohol, replace it with water.
See the recipe card for detailed instructions and full information on ingredients and quantities.
🌿Variations on the recipe
- Different canned tomatoes: Instead of tomato puree, you can use passata, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes (crushed by hand), or tomato sauce. Each choice will slightly alter the texture and flavor of the ground turkey spaghetti sauce.
- Extra veggies: Add celery, red or green pepper, or mushrooms. Or 1-2 handfuls of baby spinach at the end of the cooking process.
- Other types of meat: While ground turkey is the star of this recipe, you can also use ground chicken, ground beef, or Italian sausage. Just adjust the cooking time and seasoning accordingly.
- For a spicy kick, add chopped jalapeños, cayenne pepper, or more red pepper flakes to the ground turkey pasta sauce. You can also use spicy Italian sausage instead of ground turkey for an extra punch of heat.
👩🏻🍳How to make spaghetti with ground turkey?
Step #1: Cook bacon in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add onions and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes until softer. Stir in the garlic.
Step #2: Add ground meat and brown it on medium-high heat in a large skillet for 3-4 minutes.
Step #3: Stir in spices, then add basil, tomato puree and paste, sugar, crumbled stock cube, and wine. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Step #4: Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Step #5: While the Bolognese sauce simmers, cook the spaghetti al dente.
Step #6: Adjust the taste of the sauce with sugar, salt, pepper, and balsamic.
🔊Expert Tips
Spaghetti is not a must; you can use any pasta you prefer, such as penne, tagliatelle, rigatoni, or fettuccine. Whole wheat pasta works, too. Adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions. If you have leftover spaghetti, make this Quick Leftover Spaghetti Recipe, Leftover Pasta Bake, or Fried Spaghetti.
Add a small splash of water halfway through cooking the onions and carrots if they start catching to the bottom of the pan. Also, reduce the heat and stir often.
Sugar: You might need to add more at the end; it depends on how acidic the canned tomatoes are. This can vary between brands and types of canned tomatoes.
Meal prep: This Mediterranean homemade spaghetti sauce is suitable for meal prep. It keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days and freezes perfectly.
❓Recipe FAQs
Sure. The flavor of the spaghetti meat sauce may be slightly different, but it will still work well in the recipe.
You can make it a couple of days ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stovetop before serving, and cook the pasta fresh.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
Yes, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
🍴What to serve with it?
This spaghetti with ground turkey pairs well with a simple green salad and some crusty bread. You can also serve it with steamed vegetables or garlic bread for a complete meal.
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📖 Recipe
The Best Spaghetti with Ground Turkey Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot for the spaghetti
- Large skillet or saucepan for the sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey 450 g, Note 1
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped, Note 2
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 ¼ cups tomato puree 750 g, Note 3
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar more if necessary, Note 4
- 10 basil leaves
- 1 cube chicken stock
- ½ cup red wine optional, 125 ml, Note 5
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan freshly grated, 30 g
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 lb spaghetti 450 g, Note 6
Instructions
- Chop the bacon, onions, and carrots finely. Mince or grate the garlic, but keep it separated from the rest.4 slices bacon + 2 medium onions + 2 medium carrots + 2 garlic cloves
- Sauté: Heat the oil in the saucepan. Add bacon and stir for about 2 minutes until it renders some fat. Add onions and carrots and cook them for 5-7 minutes until softer. Reduce the heat and add a small splash of water halfway through if the ingredients start catching to the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and stir for another minute.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Brown ground turkey: Increase the heat to medium-high and add the meat. Brown it, often stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add tomato puree, tomato paste, all the spices, sugar, crumbled stock cube, shredded basil leaves, and wine.1 lb ground turkey/ 450 g + 3 ¼ cups tomato puree / 750 g + 2 tablespoons tomato paste + 1 teaspoon oregano + ½ teaspoon rosemary + ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes + 2 bay leaves + 1 teaspoon sugar + 10 basil leaves + 1 cube chicken stock + ½ cup red wine / 125 ml + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Simmer turkey bolognese: Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot but leave a small crack open, and simmer the turkey sauce for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the Parmesan and adjust the taste with more sugar, salt, pepper, and balsamic if necessary.½ cup Parmesan / 30 g + 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Cook spaghetti while the sauce simmers. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt generously, then the pasta. Cook al dente, according to the package instructions. 1 lb spaghetti / 450 g
Notes
- Ground turkey comes in various types, but I prefer the regular one, blending white and dark meat. Lean ground turkey also works, but it can be drier than the mix. You can substitute it with any other type of ground meat, but the cooking time might change slightly.
- Vegetables: You can add 2 finely diced celery stalks or 1 small red or green pepper.
- Canned tomatoes: Instead of tomato puree, you can use passata, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes (crushed by hand), or tomato sauce. Each choice will slightly alter the texture and flavor of the sauce.
- Sugar: You might need to add more at the end; it depends on how acidic the canned tomatoes are. This can vary between brands and types of canned tomatoes.
- Wine: You can replace it with the same amount of water, but it adds more flavor.
- Substitute spaghetti with any other pasta shape you like.
Ritu Parna says
Thanks for sharing such a great recipe with us. My family loves this recipe. I made this recipe and served it to my friends at my house.