This Ground Turkey Spaghetti is simple, flavorful and made with staples you already have at home. This classic spaghetti recipe is done in just 45 minutes and is perfect for the whole family.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Dinner on the table in under 1 hour. Nothing beats a homemade spaghetti sauce and one that is done in just 45 minutes is even more ideal. Check out my Instant Pot Tortellini Soup and Instant Pot Minestrone Soup for more easy dinner recipes!
- Meal prep friendly. This turkey meat sauce can be made on Sunday for you to enjoy for lunch all week long. Prep my Healthy Raspberry Oatmeals Bars at the same time for easy grab-and-go breakfasts.
- Made with staple ingredients. This sauce uses simple ingredients most people already have in their fridge and pantry like canned tomatoes, onions, carrots and basil.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Mirepoix- mirepoix is an aromatic mix of onion, carrots and celery. It's typically two parts onion, one part carrots and one part celery. Mirepoix is used as the base to many different soups, sauces and stocks. I use it in my Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup and Chicken Osso Buco.
- Ground turkey- this recipe can also be made with ground beef, ground pork or sausage with the casings removed.
- Red wine- adds a rich and robust flavor to the sauce. This is optional but I highly recommend using it.
- Can crushed tomatoes- I recommend San Marzano crushed tomatoes.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil & butter in a large pot and soften the mirepoix for a few minutes.
- Next, add in the salt, garlic and ground turkey and cook for 5 minutes, until browned.
- Pour in the red wine (optional), deglaze the bottom of the pot & allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, black pepper and basil.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low & simmer for 25 minutes.
- Serve with spaghetti and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
The best wines to use are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Côtes du Rhône or Zinfandel. However, you can use whatever you have on hand and it is not necessary to use a bottle of expensive wine for this recipe. I prefer bottles under $20.
Traditional bolognese recipes contain just a little bit of tomato sauce and cook for hours to bring the flavors together. This meat sauce is more simple and is done in under 1 hour!
Yes! Make sure to brown the ground turkey before adding it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
Yes, use the sauté function and follow the first two recipe steps as normal. Then add the remaining ingredients and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes and quick release the pressure.
Chef Tips
- Buy pre-packaged mirepoix to save time on chopping. This is my top tip!
- This turkey meat sauce recipe makes about 6 servings. If you don't use all of it at one time then it can be stored in a freezer-safe container or storage bag for a few months. Let it defrost, in the refrigerator or on the counter for a few hours before reheating.
- Keep it in the fridge all week to enjoy as leftovers. If you are wondering how long you can store leftover sauce and spaghetti, check out my storage tips!
- I highly recommend using fresh basil over dried. It is much more flavorful and full of nutrients.
- If the carrots are tender, the sauce is ready! Carrots typically taste the longest to cook so if they are still a little hard, let the sauce simmer for a little longer.
Serving
I love this ground turkey spaghetti as is but I also like using this sauce recipe in my Classic Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce. If you prefer a meat-free sauce, try my Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce or Italian Pink Sauce.
If you want to add some extra vegetables, serve Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Sweet Potato Salad on the side.
Similar Recipes
🍳Recipe
Ground Turkey Spaghetti
Equipment
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound ground turkey, (can also use ground beef, ground pork or sausage)
- ½ cup dry red wine, optional
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil & butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Add in the salt, minced garlic and ground turkey. Cook while crumbling for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine (if using), deglaze the bottom of the pot & allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add in the can of crushed tomatoes, black pepper, and basil.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, cover, then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes. Season with more salt to taste.
- Serve with spaghetti and top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Buy pre-packaged mirepoix to save time on chopping. This is my top tip!
- This turkey meat sauce recipe makes about 6 servings. If you don't use all of it at one time then it can be stored in a freezer-safe container or storage bag for a few months. Let it defrost, in the refrigerator or on the counter for a few hours before reheating.
- Keep it in the fridge all week to enjoy as leftovers.
- I highly recommend using fresh basil over dried. It is much more flavorful and full of nutrients.
- If the carrots are tender, the sauce is ready! Carrots typically taste the longest to cook so if they are still a little hard, let the sauce simmer for a little longer.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Michael Holt says
Quick, easy and delicious, had it for dinner this evening!
Sarah Holt says
So happy you loved it!