Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Turkey Bolognese is rich and flavorful, with ground turkey, Italian sausage, tomatoes, fresh basil, and a touch of cream. It tastes like it’s been simmered all day (but it will only take you an hour!).
How long it takes: 55 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet or Dutch oven, pasta pot
Servings: 6
Normal night Bolognese
I had the privilege of tasting bolognese in Bologna, Italy, and honestly, not many things will top that experience.
I love a classic bolognese, but in reality, I’m not simmering pasta sauce for half a day on a random Tuesday.
This is the version I actually make frequently.
What makes it special:
- Easy: All you’ll need is a nice big pan, like a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven. And it’s ready in less than an hour.
- Delicious and good for you: The sauce is very rich-tasting and hearty yet it’s lower in fat than traditional Bolognese because it’s made with ground turkey.
- Perfect Italian style dinner: Serve turkey Bolognese sauce with your favorite pasta or over spaghetti squash. Make it a stay-at-home “Olive Garden” night with a simple green salad dressed with homemade Italian dressing and breadsticks with restaurant style dipping oil. That’s amore!
Ingredient Notes
This recipe has everything you’d expect in a winning pasta sauce! As always, scroll down for the printable version of the recipe.
- Meat: I like to use a blend of ground turkey and sweet Italian turkey sausage. You could also use a combination of ground beef and pork Italian sausage, or ground beef and turkey Italian sausage, or ground beef and pork Italian sausage. Any combo of these will work!
- Vegetables: Be sure to finely mince your onions and carrot so that they blend in with the meat and form a uniform sauce. You don’t want large chunks in your sauce. You’ll also be adding a large can of crushed tomatoes.
- Seasoning: I like to add lots of garlic, of course, as well as fresh basil and parsley, and I often sprinkle in a dash of red pepper flakes. If you’re using dried herbs, add about 1 tablespoon each.
- Flavor amplifiers: Tomato paste and red wine add depth to the flavor.
- Heavy cream: We use less in this recipe than many Bolognese recipes to make it a little healthier but, of course, you’re welcome to add more! It adds a subtle richness and makes the sauce super velvety (similar to vodka pasta).
- For serving: Of course, you’ll want to serve your favorite pasta with the Bolognese sauce (I love ribbon-like pappardelle!), topped with a generous handful of Parmesan cheese.
Cooking Tip
Not sure what to do with the tomato paste that’s left in the can? Divide the rest up into two tablespoon portions, place each portion into snack-sized bags (or freezer cubes), flatten slightly, and freeze. The next time you make spaghetti sauce, just unwrap one and drop the frozen sauce in the pan.
How to Make Turkey Bolognese
Sauté the vegetables. In a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add diced carrots, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. They don’t need to brown—just soften and become fragrant.
Brown the meat. Add the ground turkey and turkey sausage to the pan. Cook the meat, breaking it up with a spoon, until it’s cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. The mixture should look crumbly and no longer pink.
Build the flavor. Stir in the tomato paste and minced garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This step deepens the tomato flavor and removes the raw taste from the garlic.
Deglaze the pan. Pour in the red wine and cook for another 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce until it’s mostly evaporated.
Simmer the sauce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes, if using. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, or longer if you have time. It should thicken slightly and develop a deeper flavor.
Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
Season. When the sauce is done simmering, remove it from the heat and stir in the basil, parsley, and heavy cream. Now comes an important step: taste the sauce. Adjust with additional salt, a pinch of sugar, or more red pepper flakes as needed.
Serve. Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce and toss to combine, thinning with reserved pasta water if necessary. Alternatively, spoon the sauce over individual servings of pasta. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and serve warm.
Recipe Variations
- Slow cooker Bolognese: Looking for a slow cooker Bolognese sauce? Brown onion, carrots, garlic, and meat in a skillet on the stove. Add to a slow cooker with the remaining ingredients, except fresh herbs and cream. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Right before serving, gradually stir in the cream and herbs. Another option is my crockpot spaghetti sauce with meat or vegetarian options.
- Instant Pot Bolognese: Did you get an Instant Pot for Christmas? Try Instant Pot Bolognese.
- Use different meat or make it meatless. Not crazy about turkey? Substitute ground beef for the ground turkey and use pork Italian sausage. For a meatless version, try my vegan Bolognese with lentils and quinoa. It has a surprisingly meaty texture and is quite hearty.
- Omit the cream. Omit the heavy cream if you’re lactose-intolerant. The sauce will still be great!
- Add spinach. “Green up” your sauce with chopped spinach leaves, stirring them in with the basil and parsley. The tender leaves will wilt almost instantly in the hot sauce.
- Looking for a shortcut? Omit the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, salt and pepper from the recipe, and add a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce instead.
Refrigerate/Freeze: Store leftover turkey Bolognese sauce in a tightly covered container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze turkey Bolognese sauce. I recommend freezing the sauce and the pasta separately. It will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer. Thaw before reheating.
To reheat: Warm the sauce gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or microwave individual portions in short intervals until heated through. If the sauce has thickened which it tends to do once it’s mixed with pasta, add a splash of water or broth to loosen it.
More Pasta Sauce Recipes
Turkey Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced carrot (about 2 large carrots)
- 1 cup finely diced onion (about ½ large onion)
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 16 ounces ground turkey
- 16 ounces bulk (ground) sweet Italian turkey sausage (you can use hot Italian sausage, if you prefer)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 package (14 to 16 ounces) uncooked pappardelle, spaghetti, or pasta of your choice
- shredded or grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
Instructions
- In a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Sauté carrots, onions, salt and pepper for 3 to 4 minutes, or until beginning to soften.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup finely diced carrot, 1 cup finely diced onion, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add ground turkey and ground sausage to the pan, and brown, breaking up clumps, until meat is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes.16 ounces ground turkey, 16 ounces bulk (ground) sweet Italian turkey sausage
- Add tomato paste and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add wine, and cook 2 more minutes, scraping up browned bits, until wine is mostly reduced.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 4 cloves garlic, minced, ½ cup dry red wine
- Stir in crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes, if using. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, 20 to 30 minutes, or longer, if desired.1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water.1 package (14 to 16 ounces) uncooked pappardelle, spaghetti, or pasta of your choice
- When ready to serve, remove from heat and stir in basil, parsley, and heavy cream. Taste sauce and season with salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes as desired (see note).3 tablespoons minced fresh basil, 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to combine, thinning with reserved pasta water if necessary. Alternatively, serve sauce over pasta.
- Sprinkle with cheese, as desired, and serve.
Notes
- Taste test: Don’t skip this step. You’ll want to make sure that the sauce fits your preferences. At the end of the cook time, add sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes, as desired. I don’t usually add sugar to the sauce but you may enjoy a sweeter sauce. Start with ½ teaspoon, and add gradually to taste, stirring well and tasting each time.
- Slow cooker method: Brown onion, carrots, garlic, and meat in a skillet on the stove. Add to a slow cooker with the remaining ingredients, except fresh herbs and cream. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Gradually stir in the cream and herbs at the end of the cooking time. If you prefer, try Instant Pot Bolognese.
- Make ahead: Make a double batch of sauce and freeze half to use later; just leave the cream out of the portion you’re freezing and add it when reheating. Store it in a freezer container for up to a month. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. It’s okay to freeze it with the cream already added but it may not have exactly the same texture when thawed.
- Storage and reheating: Refrigerate leftovers in a tightly covered container for up to 4 days. Warm up on the stove or individual portions in the microwave until it’s heated through.
- Variations: If you prefer, substitute ground beef for the ground turkey and use pork Italian sausage. You can omit the heavy cream if you’re lactose-intolerant. I often add a few handfuls of chopped spinach to the sauce right before I serve it. It wilts very quickly.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
A great use of leftover turkey. I used both dried and fresh herbs from our garden including a small amount of fresh sage. The carrot was new to me but added some depth. A definite add to my dinner list!
Yum! Thanks for sharing a photo!
sounds fabulous!
Thanks Denise!