This Turkey Bolognese recipe gets its rich flavor and aroma from a combination of turkey sausage, mushrooms, herbs, aromatic vegetables, and red wine – simmered together in only 20 minutes. If you want to boost your dinner protein, or you need a GLP-1 meal idea, make this ground turkey pasta sauce for a healthy dinner today.
This is one of our best heart healthy dinner recipes.
Looking for easy Mediterranean dinners in under 30 minutes? Cook this healthy bolognese by using low fat turkey to make a rich, herb-infused meat sauce pasta. There is no added sugar in this low carb bolognese recipe. Instead, red wine adds a deeply savory element, while Parmesan lends a light, creamy meat sauce flavor without dairy. Full of flavor with mouth-watering aroma, your Turkey Bolognese is on the table in less than an hour. While it only takes 20 minutes to simmer, it smells and tastes like you’ve cooked it all day. Serve with an appetizer or salad for a romantic dinner or a Tuesday night quick-to-the-table hearty entree. It’s also a healthy recipe for easy next-day leftovers or work lunch meal prepping.
Heart-healthy with lean ground turkey to boost its protein base, this Turkey Bolognese recipe is lower in sodium with low-salt tomatoes and herbs that boost the flavor. The addition of the turkey sausage imparts additional flavor with spices, too. With 19g of protein and only 139 mg of sodium per serving, Turkey Bolognese meat sauce for pasta is a high-protein, lower-fat recipe that will appeal to diners of all ages.
Yes! This version is made without the added sugar or milk of a traditional Bolognese. It’s also high in lean, lower saturated fat protein (ground turkey and turkey sausage), and low in sodium when you cook with low sodium tomatoes.
Yes - each 1 cup serving has 19 grams of lean protein, mainly from the ground turkey and turkey sausage.
While this ground turkey pasta sauce taste great over any noodle, we like Parpadelle pasta because the thick noodle is delicious smothered in a rich meat sauce. You can use gluten-free or plant-based pasta, gluten-free lasagna noodles, or in stuffed pepper preparations.
Recipe yields 8 servings
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, carrot, bell pepper, turkey sausage, garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds, oregano, red-pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to taste. Cook and stir until mushrooms are tender and liquid is evaporated. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add ground turkey to saucepan and cook until turkey is no longer pink.
Return reserved vegetable mixture to saucepan. Stir in tomatoes, wine and balsamic vinegar. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and serve turkey bolognese sauce over cooked gluten-free or plant-based pasta.
To store, cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container or large mason jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes. It's easy to make this a slow cooker recipe for Turkey Blolgnese. Complete the same four Turkey Bolognese recipe steps, then place the meat sauce in your slow cooker. Let the mixture simmer for 6-8 hours on low. Serve over rice, pasta, or gluten-free or plant-based pasta.
To store any meat sauce for pasta, cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container or large mason jar. Store turkey bolognese in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave. Turkey Bolognese is a great healthy dinner meal prep idea. You can store it with or without noodles in the refrigerator as well.
This recipe has flexibility built into it. While the main ingredients like the ground turkey, turkey sausage, and low-sodium tomatoes are necessary, you can adjust some of the other ingredients to create a Turkey Bolognese that best suits your healthy diet guidelines.
Do not add mushrooms if you don't like or have them.
You can use pantry staple dried spices if you don’t have fresh on hand. With turkey being a little milder in taste than ground beef or lamb, fresh herbs can be a big boost in increasing flavor.
If you don’t have garlic cloves on hand, substitute 4 teaspoons of dried or diced garlic.
Because Turkey Bolognese is more of a meat sauce than a tomato sauce, we suggest using a broader noodle like a pappardelle or fettucini for the best meat coverage. Alternatively, you can choose to use gluten-free noodles or cooked spaghetti squash. At only 42 calories a cup, it can be a great non-starch option.