Rollover Turkey Bolognese with Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Serves 4, plus makes 5-6 cups leftover sauce
The launch of Yum-o! as an organization was announced on my daytime television show. I taught a hard working mom this meal. For years, she and her husband had felt disappointment in their ability to get their daughters to eat a well-balanced diet. We cooked this rollover supper together: plenty of lean meat and vegetables in a rich pasta sauce over whole grain pasta, the leftovers of which became a simple soup and a spicy healthy chili. The mom felt so empowered that she cried – then I joined in.
Good food can be good for your soul, too.
Cook this recipe one night and serve with a green salad. Use the leftover sauce to make Turkey Tomato Soup and then Turkey Vegetable Chili the third night.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds lean ground turkey
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 2 onions, grated or finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 bay leaf, fresh or dry
- 2 cups chicken stock, regular or low sodium stock
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes (28 ounces each), regular or low sodium
- 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta.
- Pre-heat a large Dutch oven or deep pot over medium-high heat with about 1/4 cup EVOO, 3-4 turns of the pan. Add in the turkey and, using the back of a wooden spoon, break up the meat into small pieces. Cook 5-6 minutes to start the browning process, then grate the carrots, onions and garlic into the pot or finely chop and stir in. Season liberally with salt and pepper, add bay leaf and cook five minutes more; then stir in the stock and the tomatoes. Bring up to a bubble, then drop the heat to low and simmer while you cook another 5-6 minutes more.
- Salt water and cook pasta to al dente, with a bite to it. Place the pasta back into the warm pot you cooked it in. Toss pasta with cheese and two cups of the sauce. Serve pasta in shallow bowls with an extra ladle of sauce on top. Serve pasta supper with a green salad.
- Cool the leftover sauce and store in refrigerator.