Best Easy Turkey Ragu 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.

EASY TURKEY RAGU

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt butter over med-high heat.
• Add turkey, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and if desired, crushed red pepper.
• Cook until turkey is browned and crumbly and onion is tender.
• Add diced tomatoes, and simmer for 15 minutes or until mixture has thickened.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Toss with warm cooked spaghetti, and sprinkle with cheese before serving.

TURKEY RAGU WITH FONTINA AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onions until translucent and slightly brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then add the ground turkey. Cook and stir until the turkey is no longer pink. Mix in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Combine pasta with the tomato sauce in the skillet. Toss pasta with the fontina cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese until the cheese is melted. Serve pasta in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

PENNE WITH TURKEY RAGU

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic and turkey and cook, stirring, until the turkey browns slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high, bring the sauce to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add half of the basil and the parmesan rind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Stir the half-and-half, the remaining basil and 2 tablespoons cheese into the sauce. Add the pasta and toss to coat, adding some of the reserved pasta water to loosen, if needed. Remove the parmesan rind and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon cheese and more basil.

TURKEY RAGù

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until golden and most of the fat has rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the oil to the skillet. Stir in the carrot, celery, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and a little golden in spots, about 7 minutes. Scrape the mixture onto a plate.
• Add the turkey to skillet and cook, breaking up meat with a fork, until golden and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Return pancetta and vegetables to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the wine; cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until it is mostly evaporated. Add the crushed tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve over pasta, topped with a dollop of ricotta.

TURKEY RAGù WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Finely chop onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Mince garlic.
• In a large heavy non-stick skillet melt butter with oil over moderate heat until foam subsides and cook turkey, stirring and breaking up lumps, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer turkey to a bowl and in fat remaining in skillet cook chopped vegetables, garlic, rosemary, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just softened, about 4 minutes. Add wine and cook until most of liquid is evaporated. Stir in 1 can tomatoes with purée, tomato paste, broth, and cinnamon and simmer 15 minutes. Add turkey with any juices in bowl and remaining can tomatoes with purée and simmer, stirring, 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and cooled, uncovered, before being chilled, covered. Reheat sauce over low heat.
• Fill a 6-quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander and in a serving bowl toss pasta with sauce.