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    Home » Recipes » pasta

    Spaghetti with Turkey Bolognese

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

    Jump to Recipe

    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

    If you like this Ground Turkey Bolognese, please leave a 5-star rating.

    RECIPE

    A big plate of spaghetti with ground turkey bolognese on top.
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    5 from 1 vote

    Spaghetti with Turkey Bolognese

    Flavorful and healthy ground turkey bolognese sauce with whole wheat pasta is the best way to make a healthier spaghetti bolognese.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Dinner Entree, pasta
    Cuisine: American Italian
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 496kcal
    Cost: $7

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
    • 1 TBS olive oil
    • 1 ¼ lb ground lean turkey
    • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
    • handful fresh chopped parsley
    • handful fresh chopped basil
    • 1 TBS dried Italian seasoning
    • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
    • ½ cup white wine or substitute chicken broth
    • 1 TBS sugar
    • salt and red pepper to taste
    • grated Parmesan for serving

    Instructions

    • Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
    • In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil to medium and brown the ground turkey. Drain after it is fully cooked.
    • Add garlic, parsley, basil, and seasoning and cook for a minute or two. Add tomatoes, white wine (or broth) and sugar.
    • Cover pot and simmer on low for 25 minutes or until sauce is thickened while stirring occasionally.
    • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    • Toss spaghetti with sauce and serve with grated cheese.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 780mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 368IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 6mg

    First Published October 2008 ; Last Updated May 2021

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barbara Bakes

      October 24, 2008 at 4:09 pm

      I love whole wheat spaghetti too - every little bit helps! Go Phillies!

      Reply
    2. Allie

      October 24, 2008 at 4:12 pm

      Have fun watching all the games! Love using ground turkey in pasta not sure why more people don't.

      Reply
    3. kat

      October 24, 2008 at 4:21 pm

      Great use of ground turkey, people always think turkey is dry but not if done like this

      Reply
    4. biz319

      October 24, 2008 at 4:23 pm

      That spaghetti looks so thick - nice! I'll have to check that out the next time I am at Trader Joe's.

      I try to sub whole wheat for regular, but hubby can always tell! 😀

      Reply
    5. Jeni

      October 24, 2008 at 5:01 pm

      I was craving spaghetti and wa-la, I came upon your sight. Looks good. I haven't had it with whole wheat before noodles, but I think I'll give it a try. Thanks.

      Reply
    6. Stacey Snacks

      October 24, 2008 at 5:20 pm

      I love pasta with ANYTHING on top!
      I could eat it plain w/ butter.
      I buy Trader's pappardelle, they are great.
      We are on for Monday lunch!
      Where are we going?
      I have some ideas.............

      Reply
    7. Michele

      October 24, 2008 at 5:25 pm

      I use ground turkey often as a substitution for ground beef. I normally drain and rinse ground beef as well as ground turkey. Congrats on the Phillies!! I'm an Indians girl, and it was a very sad, sad season for me.

      Reply
    8. Dawn

      October 24, 2008 at 5:50 pm

      LOL! Yes, my hubby is a happy man too (he's from Philly).
      Have a good weekend. Don't you just love Trader Joe's?
      Great swap with the turkey here.

      Reply
    9. Pam

      October 24, 2008 at 6:09 pm

      I would love a plate of that right now. Good luck to your teams!

      Reply
    10. Veronica

      October 24, 2008 at 6:59 pm

      How about those Phillies?! We're Yankee fans in our house-but I'm glad the Phillies are doing well. I love that flax spaghetti!

      Reply
    11. Mrs. L

      October 24, 2008 at 7:02 pm

      Should I mention that the Giants and 49ers suck but at least I have the Sharks? I seriously doubt the day all three teams in my area have good years at the same time....

      Reply
    12. HoneyB

      October 24, 2008 at 7:15 pm

      We use whole wheat often ourselves! Have fun watching the games!

      Reply
    13. Bridgett

      October 24, 2008 at 7:33 pm

      I've never tried it with turkey. Sounds delicious!

      Reply
    14. Sara

      October 24, 2008 at 8:24 pm

      This looks great, I just tried that same spaghetti from Trader Joe's last night, we liked it.

      Reply
    15. Jan

      October 24, 2008 at 9:08 pm

      I love Spag Bol, this is one of the few dishes my hubby makes. I have to admit ours is not so healthy, we use beef, and have homemade garlic bread with ours.
      This certainly sounds like a more wholesome alternative. 🙂

      Reply
    16. Bunny

      October 24, 2008 at 10:16 pm

      I've never made whole wheat spaghetti, I'm gonna have to try this!

      Reply
    17. nicole

      October 25, 2008 at 1:28 am

      Ahhh...Who can wait for steam to go down? You want hot spaghetti. I figure HEY at least you took a picture. Still looks good.

      Reply
    18. Beth

      October 25, 2008 at 7:32 am

      I love bolognese. Never tried making it with turkey mince - sounds like a good lower fat alternative

      Reply
    19. Yasmeen

      October 25, 2008 at 8:38 am

      hi Lisa
      Flax Seed in Spaghetti is a smart healthy idea along with turkey and whole grain pasta:)
      I've an award waiting for you at my blog,please collect:)
      Waiting for you boolicious recipes:)

      Reply
    20. hot garlic

      October 25, 2008 at 9:46 am

      Ohhh, spicy! I love the whole wheat pasta, it's my absolute fave. This just looks great Lisa!

      Reply
    21. alexandra's kitchen

      October 25, 2008 at 10:20 am

      Go Phillies!! This pasta looks aweome. I love pasta and don't make it enough.

      Reply
    22. RecipeGirl

      October 25, 2008 at 10:23 am

      Ha Ha- sports are not good for our diets as well. I always have to make something fun to watch the games.

      We're sad about the Red Sox, but I hope your team wins for you!

      Yummy turkey idea!

      Reply
    23. mikky

      October 25, 2008 at 2:08 pm

      what a healthy treat... 🙂

      Reply
    24. *Priscilla*

      October 25, 2008 at 2:47 pm

      looks yummo! i was kinda hopin' the cubs would have been playing the rays....:(

      Reply
    25. Clumbsy Cookie

      October 25, 2008 at 3:44 pm

      Goooooooooooo Phillies! And go turkey bolognese as well!!!

      Reply
    26. Robin Sue

      October 25, 2008 at 4:49 pm

      Go Phillies!! Gotta love bolognese, just made some last night-it's one of my favorites, not as healthy as yours though!

      Reply
    27. Aggie

      October 25, 2008 at 8:00 pm

      I'm laughing because I get a lot of steam in my pictures too!

      I love this Lisa, looks delicious! I haven't made a sauce like this in a while...maybe tomorrow! Thanks for the idea!

      Tell me about sports not being good for the diet...I'm struggling over here!

      Reply
    28. The Blonde Duck

      October 25, 2008 at 10:17 pm

      It looks great to me! I love whole wheat pasta!

      Reply
    29. Jenny

      October 26, 2008 at 12:25 am

      This looks like a great dish Lisa. I love ww pasta. Once I got used to it, I prefer it now. The turkey sounds like a great addition too!

      Reply
    30. Sharon

      October 26, 2008 at 1:07 am

      I've been meaning to try the flax seed pasta from Trader Joe's but keep forgetting to buy it! Thanks for the reminder 🙂 Hope you had a successful sports weekend!

      Reply
    31. Prudy

      October 26, 2008 at 4:48 pm

      Sounds delicious. I know what you mean about steam-it's a toss up every night. Great pics or great food? We always opt for the great hot food! Go Phillies!

      Reply
    32. Jennifer Ludgin

      October 26, 2008 at 7:22 pm

      mmm, lisa, that looks great! I made meat loaf out of ground lean turkey tonight...so good!

      Reply
    33. Leslie

      October 26, 2008 at 8:23 pm

      We have the sports fever in my House too... Rays, Bucs and Lightning! Tampa is a huge sports town!
      Love your healthy spaghetti

      Reply
    34. That Girl

      October 27, 2008 at 12:47 am

      Ground turkey is just so versatile!

      Reply
    35. Jeena

      October 27, 2008 at 12:52 pm

      Oooh pass me a fork so I can twist this delicious spaghetti around it yum!

      Great healthy option using turkey instead of beef. 🙂

      Reply
    36. bren@Flanboyant Eats

      October 27, 2008 at 10:39 pm

      i was looking for the sugar in your ingredients! I'm amazed at how many ppl don't use it in the sauce!

      Reply
    37. Lisa magicsprinkles

      October 28, 2008 at 3:13 pm

      This looks so warm, comforting and filling. We sometimes BOO in our neighborhood, but it hasn't happened this year (yet).

      Reply
    38. Rosie

      October 29, 2008 at 9:30 am

      This looks a great Lisa with whole wheat spaghetti - just perfect!

      Rosie x

      Reply
    39. Gavan Murphy aka The Healthy Irishman

      October 30, 2008 at 5:47 pm

      I've used that spag. from Trader Joes. Brilliant. Love this recipe. I just found you on Foodie Friday. Great site and very colorful. Nice job.

      Reply

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