Quick and Easy Turkey Bolognese

Quick and Easy

This recipe provides a leaner take on a classic Bolognese sauce by using lean ground turkey and stretching the meat and adding more plant-based fiber and nutrition found in the chopped mushrooms. Serve over pasta noodles or for a lower-glycemic meal, enjoy over spiralized zucchini noodles or fiber-rich chickpea pasta noodles.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Recipe Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey (or sub >90% lean ground beef)*
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes or marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley or basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground turkey (or beef) and mushrooms; cook until the turkey is no longer pink while using a wooden spoon to break the turkey apart, about 6-7 minutes.
  2. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in crushed tomatoes or marinara and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley or basil.
  3. Serve over pasta noodles, spiralized zucchini noodles, roasted spaghetti squash, or chickpea pasta.
Lisa Markley, MS, RDN, LD

About the Recipe Author

Lisa Markley, MS, RDN, LD, is an integrative dietitian culinary nutrition expert with nearly two decades of experience working towards improving the health of others. She is passionate about educating others how to harness the healing power of food and healthful lifestyle changes.