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TURKEY BOLOGNESE

This Turkey Bolognese recipe is a shortcut version of the Italian classic with just as much flavor!  I make my version using a soffritto (the Italian holy trinity of carrots, celery, & onion) along with garlic, tomato sauce, ground turkey, and dried herbs.   I dice up the soffritto veggies nice and small for a beautiful “confetti” appearance.  Starting off meals with basic fresh items such as celery and onion take the dish to the next level.

I love to make protein dishes that can be eaten on their own.  This allows you to hit protein goals and control the optional carb source to pair it with.  For this reason, my recipe is not very “saucy”.  I add just enough sauce to make it flavorful and bind it together.  If you prefer a very saucy version (say for topping a mound of noodles) just add in more tomato sauce than what the recipe calls for. When I ate my turkey Bolognese I did mix in a serving of quinoa, and it was delicious as is without the need for any additional sauce.

Turkey Bolognese mixed with plain cooked quinoa

The tomato sauce in this dish makes it a great lunch item to prep ahead for the entire week.  The extra moisture from the sauce keeps it from drying out as the week trudges along.  Depending on your daily goals and what else you eat during the day, you may consider eating more than one serving at a time.  This will help you hit your protein goals.  Always consider making a double batch to last the whole week (or even triple batch if you are sharing with family members)!

Another way that I liked to eat my Turkey Bolognese is with a dollop of sour cream on the side.  The tangy sour cream mixed in beautifully and created a delicious blush pink sauce.  This might be an inspiration for a future recipe…

Turkey Bolognese served with a dollop of sour cream

Whether you serve this Turkey Bolognese over rice, pasta, quinoa, roasted vegetables, or straight up on its own you will not be disappointed!  Comment down below with your favorite way to enjoy.  If Italian food is your jam check out my Eggplant Caponata recipe.

Skillet full of turkey bolognese

Turkey Bolognese

Christine Willers
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp avocado oil or olive oil
  • ½ white onion finely diced 3.5 oz
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 celery stalks finely diced 2.5 oz
  • 2 small carrots finely diced 2.5 oz
  • 1 pound 91% lean turkey
  • 8 oz can of tomato sauce if you want a saucy Bolognese for pasta use 2-8oz cans, photo shows one can only

Instructions
 

  • Combine the basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper into a small bowl. Mix and set aside.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add the oil then the onions and cook onions until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Next, add in the celery and carrots and cook for another few minutes until soft.
  • Add the turkey into the skillet and mix in well with the vegetables. Once the turkey is cooked through, add in the spice blend, mix to combine, and reduce heat to simmer.
  • Add the tomato sauce, mix well and let simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Video