In this sauce, we use mushrooms and chicken broth to lend a meaty flavor and moisture to the sauce, which get lost when you substitute lean ground turkey in place of fatty ground beef. Adding the ground turkey in teaspoon size pinches during the last 30 minutes of simmering also creates nice meaty chunks that give the impression of eating a hearty, meaty sauce. You can either chop up the mushrooms very fine by hand, or pulse them until they're very fine in a food processor. Either way, they will be undetectable as mushrooms in the sauce, and only lend a meaty flavor and moisture.
1 small onion, diced small
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
8 oz white mushrooms, minced
2 Tbl tomato paste
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz (93% lean) ground turkey
1 pound spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves
ground black pepper
Combine the onion, olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, and pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
Pinch off teaspoon size bits of the turkey and drop into the simmering sauce. Stir them in, and condinue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir the basil into the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and return the pasta to the pot.
Toss 3 cups of the sauce with the cooked pasta, adding the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Divide the pasta among eight individual bowls, then divide the remaining sauce over the top of each bowl, and serve.
1 small onion, diced small
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
8 oz white mushrooms, minced
2 Tbl tomato paste
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz (93% lean) ground turkey
1 pound spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves
ground black pepper
Combine the onion, olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, and pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
Pinch off teaspoon size bits of the turkey and drop into the simmering sauce. Stir them in, and condinue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir the basil into the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and return the pasta to the pot.
Toss 3 cups of the sauce with the cooked pasta, adding the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Divide the pasta among eight individual bowls, then divide the remaining sauce over the top of each bowl, and serve.
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