Easy quick dinner recipes are my speciality and this ground turkey bolognese fits the bill! The pasta sauce tastes like it has been simmering for hours but is ready in just 30 minutes! Serve with thick fettuccine noodles, enjoy!
There are few things in life that I love more than a big bowl of pasta. If I had to choose between a big bowl of soup and a big bowl of pasta, I think pasta wins for me. This 30-Minute Ground Turkey Bolognese Sauce is the real MVP when I just need a warm hug.
Watch how to make it
When it comes to bolognese, I know ground beef is often used (and even preferred). You can totally use ground beef if you want, but I love the how this ground turkey meat sauce really allows for the flavors to shine through. And if you know me, you know that I love recipes using ground turkey.
If your family loves recipes with ground turkey as much as mine does, you gotta also try my Turkey Meatloaf which is a guaranteed hit every time! A few additional favorites with some Mexican flavors are my Turkey Taco Bake, my 20-Minute Turkey Taco Skillet, and my Picadillo! All of these are worthy of the weekly meal plan rotation.
Of course, if you’re looking for a vegetarian pasta you can try my Fresh Tomato Basil Garlic Pasta, or my Spinach Pesto Pasta.
And if you came for 30 minute dinner ideas, you’ve come to the right place.
(If you enjoy cooking at home like I do, check out my guide to the best types of pans & cookware for home cooks!).
MYTH: You don’t need to slow cook a pasta sauce for hours on end to have a delicious tasting sauce. This recipe is done in 30 minutes and you’ve got dinner on the table.
What is a good sub for ground turkey?
Ground beef would work really well here. If you want to keep it vegetarian you can also chop up mushrooms in place of the ground meat, tofu or even lentils.
Can I freeze turkey bolognese sauce?
YES! This is a fantastic make ahead freezer meal (or freeze leftovers). It will last up to 3 months frozen, then simply defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat when ready to eat.
My family requests this meal anytime they feel like having something special and of course I never mind because it’s so simple!
30-Minute Ground Turkey Bolognese Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Easy quick dinner recipes are my speciality and this ground turkey bolognese fits the bill! The pasta sauce tastes like it has been simmering for hours but is ready in just 30 minutes! Serve with thick fettuccine noodles, enjoy!
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, (small dice)
- 1 medium carrot, (small dice)
- 3 garlic cloves, (minced)
- 1 pound ground turkey meat
- 1.5 teaspoons salt (plus 3 teaspoons for pasta water)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
For the pasta:
- ¾ pound fettuccine pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium/high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, carrot, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes until veggies begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the turkey meat, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and cinnamon and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the crushed tomatoes, ½ teaspoon of salt, and parsley and simmer (stirring occasionally) for 15 minutes while you cook the pasta.
- Once your large pot of water is boiling, add 3 teaspoons of salt to the boiling water and add the pasta. Cook according to the package, about 10-15 minutes.
- In the last few minutes of cooking the sauce, add the butter if using and stir until melted. Turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese, stirring to combine.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, reserve ¼ cup of pasta water to help thin out the sauce if needed. Drain noodles and serve with sauce.
When you try a recipe, use the hashtag #lifeisbutadish on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured in my stories! Follow Life is but a Dish on PINTEREST | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM for all the latest content and behind the scenes!
Remember to subscribe to my free Life is but a Dish Weekly Newsletter and receive easy recipes delivered to your inbox every week!
Comments
Brecklyn P
I looove this recipe. It hits all the boxes for my family: delicious, quick, simple, straightforward. A total family-fav! Thanks for the great recipes, Laney! I love so many of them!
★★★★★
Laney Schwartz
Thank you Brecklyn! Love hearing that the family loves them too!
Andrea Cruz
This recipe was delicious and so incredibly easy to prepare. I added some zucchini to mine to sneak in some extra veggies. I love the smoky flavor and that hint of cinnamon is so money. Definitely adding this to my LIBAD recipe rotation.
★★★★★
Laney Schwartz
Love the add of zucchini!
Stephanie
Mmmm the cinnamon! Love the depth of flavour that adds! My sauce was slightly watery (even though I didn’t add the extra pasta water), and it simmered for longer than the recipe states. What could I do to thicken it next time?
★★★★★
Life is but a Dish
Glad you loved the flavor! Hmm, that’s odd. You can add a little arrowroot slurry next time to thicken it?
Amanda Evans
Soooooo incredibly delicious and easy!! I will definitely be making this again!
★★★★★
Life is but a Dish
Yay! SO glad you enjoyed it
janice leach
Made this for my brother & sis in law. It is really delicious! I did add the butter & parm at the end but think it would have been fine without it. The seasonings were the key & I will make this sauce again with no changes:D
Kathy
DELICIOUS! I just made it, and we are eating it straight out of the pot before even cooking any pasta 🙂
Thank you, yet again, for a simple, delicious, and healthy recipe that I can make for my family!
★★★★★
Life is but a Dish
Yay!!
Megan
Love this easy, flavorful dish! It has become one of my go to weeknight meals. Also love eating the sauce on top of roasted veggies or sweet potato if I don’t feel like pasta.
★★★★★
Life is but a Dish
Yay!!
Kim Catallo
I made this last night and it was delicious but I did not have smoked paprika or bay leaves. How would these have changed the flavor and/or outcome?
Life is but a Dish
It just would have created more depth of flavor, but not much of a difference.
Karen Lamb
I had problems with this recipe. It was too dry and gummy even though I added water. I made it with fresh fettucine. Also,
you repeat the addition of salt. If I had followed the directions I would have added 2 tsp. of salt!
★★
Life is but a Dish
Sorry you had trouble, Karen. I’m not sure why it was gummy and dry. Do you mean the pasta? Or the sauce? And it makes a lot of sauce/pasta so I find the salt isn’t overpowering but you are always welcome to add less as you did. 🙂
Sandy Morrissey
I just made this today and it’s delicious!!
The cinnamon gives it such a great taste. Almost like a secret ingredient! Love it ????
Thank you for sharing this!
★★★★★
Life is but a Dish
I’m so glad! I love this one too!
Cecily
This sounds so delicious! Thanks for sharing. I was looking for a side dish to bring to thanksgiving. I will be using a butterball turkey roast as substitute for the ground turkey. Hoping it all works out 🙂
Gee
This is delicious. Even my hard-to-please kids loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
Life is but a Dish
I’m so glad!!
Trisha
Definitely making this soon! It looks incredible!!
Life is but a Dish
It’s one of my favorite recipes! Hope you love it!