Turkey Bolognese
Here's a fantastic way to use up leftover turkey, especially after the holidays. This turkey bolognese transforms your leftovers into a whole new delicious dish.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 pound cooked turkey, shredded
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti pasta, dry
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
- Parmesan , freshly grated, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot, combine the oil with onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Stir and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the turkey and stir 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce, stir well, and add kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
- Reduce to simmer and allow sauce to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and drain the rest.
- Add the hot pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to thin out sauce as needed.
- Toss in freshly chopped parsley. Serve with desired amount of freshly grated Parmesan as garnish.
Notes
- Chop the vegetables evenly so they cook at the same rate and blend smoothly into the sauce.
- Use leftover roasted turkey for the best flavor and texture, but ground turkey works well if that’s what you have.
- Let the sauce simmer gently to help the flavors come together without drying out the turkey.
- Reserve some pasta cooking water before draining; it helps loosen the sauce and gives it a silky finish.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce while both are hot so the noodles absorb more flavor.
- The sauce can be made ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use (several weeks.) When ready to use, thaw sauce and simmer to reheat.
- Serve it with some Pull-Apart Rolls or Olive Garden Breadsticks on the side.
- This recipe is part of our Pastas and Pizzas Recipes Collection.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 692mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4069IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg