Spaghetti with Turkey Bolognese

First Published: May 19, 2021 . Last Modified: October 11, 2021 lisa39 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

Ground turkey bolognese is a healthier version of traditional bolognese sauce. Made with ground turkey and high-quality tomatoes, your family (and your waistline) is going to love this healthy spaghetti bolognese.

Healthy spaghetti bolognese topped with fresh grated parmesan in a bowl.

As you probably already know, I am a PASTA LOVER. While I eat lots of other things, pasta is a big part of my diet. I know it contains lots of carbs, but I practice moderation. And frankly, I am part Italian and would not be able to live without it. So why not make a whole grain pasta recipe like this healthy spaghetti bolognese and enjoy some carbs?

Ingredients Used in this Turkey Bolognese Recipe

Whole Wheat Spaghetti - Substitute regular spaghetti or even gluten-free spaghetti.
Olive Oil - Or use any cold-pressed oil such as avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil.
Ground Lean Turkey - You can use other ground meats but it will alter the calories and fat content of the final dish.
Garlic - Fresh cloves offer the best taste.
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Basil
Italian seasoning
Crushed Tomatoes
White Wine - You can substitute chicken broth in place of the wine.
Sugar - Feel free to leave out the sugar.
Salt and Red Pepper - Season to taste.
Parmesan - Sprinkle on some freshly grated parm for serving.

How to make Bolognese Sauce healthy

This ground turkey bolognese sauce is a healthy week night recipe. I almost always use whole wheat spaghetti for the health benefits you get. This time I used whole wheat, flax seed spaghetti that I purchased at Trader Joe's. To cut down on fat, I used turkey rather than the beef or pork used in a more traditional Bolognese. I also drained the turkey after it was browned to avoid any extra fat . If you add enough herbs and spices, you will not lose any flavor. A spoon of sugar sweetens the sauce slightly but you can also leave it out if you wish.

Ground turkey bolognese is poured over whole wheat spaghetti as a healthy bolognese sauce.

Tips to Making Healthy Spaghetti Bolognese

Here are a few tips to help you make a delicious dinner.

Don't overcook the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti to al dente which will make for a more pleasing experience as you eat the pasta.
Choose good quality meat. Ground turkey plays an important role in this recipe. Look for organic meat when possible and choose a ground turkey with a lower fat content for the most health benefits. You can also grind your own turkey! If your meat is frozen make sure to know how to safely defrost ground turkey.
Choose high-quality tomatoes. Higher quality tomatoes will provide you with the most flavorful sauce. Since the tomatoes are not masked by other ingredients, I tend to spring for the more expensive tomatoes. If you can find crushed, look for whole peeled tomatoes and crush them yourself using an immersion blender.

More Bolognese Recipes

I love a good Bolognese recipe and here are more of my favorites:

Skinny Bolognese Noodles
Mini Lasagna Bolognese
Easy Gnocchi Bolognese with Ground Turkey
Tortellini Bolognese from Food Fanatic.
Pork Bolognese from Souffle Bombay

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RECIPE

A big plate of spaghetti with ground turkey bolognese on top.

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