Best Basic Turkey Meat Sauce Recipes

QUICK TURKEY RAGU

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat, in a heavy pot or Dutch oven, with a lid. Add onions and red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, to soften the onions. Add 1 tablespoon garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until fragrant (don't let it brown). Add tomato puree, tomato paste, water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and immediately lower to a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot to prevent sputtering. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet or heavy sauce pan, over medium heat. Add chopped shallots. Sauté, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic and sauté, stirring, for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the turkey and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the turkey has lost all of it's pink color. If there's lots of liquid in the pot, cook for an additional minute to evaporate some of the liquid. Pour in the wine and simmer on medium-low for 5 minutes, until the wine is reduced by about half. Pour in 4 cups of marinara sauce or homemade tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Cook the meat sauce, partially covered, for 10 minutes to combine flavors.
• Serve sauce over pasta, spaghetti squash, or zoodles. For a richer, creamier consistency, stir 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese into the sauce before serving. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and slivered basil.

BASIC TURKEY MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Add the turkey and cook until all the pinkness is gone, breaking it up with a spoon, 5-7 minutes.
• Crush basil and oregano between your palms. Add herbs and pepper flakes. Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

QUICK TURKEY SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the turkey, pepper, mushrooms and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender., Stir in the tomato sauce, spaghetti, water and garlic salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until spaghetti and vegetables are tender. Garnish with cheese if desired.

TURKEY BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and saute 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, stirring often. Stir in the basil. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cool the sauce completely, then transfer it to a container and freeze for future use. Bring the sauce to a simmer before using.)
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten as needed. Serve with the Parmesan.

BEST TURKEY MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a jelly roll pan.
• Mix ground turkey, buttery round cracker crumbs, milk, onion, egg, salt, garlic, and black pepper in a bowl; shape into a loaf and place on the prepared jelly roll pan.
• Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a separate bowl; set aside.
• Bake meatloaf in preheated oven for 30 minutes; remove from oven and drain liquids. Top meatloaf with ketchup topping. Return loaf to oven and continue baking until no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).