Monday, November 8, 2010

Turkey bolognese

This is a slow cooked thick sauce for pasta using ground turkey instead of the traditional beef and pork. It incorporates wine and milk or cream for depth and richness.  I tend to use ground turkey in place of beef almost all the time.  I think it goes back to feeding  5 of us on a strict budget.  And now I still use it so I don't have to feel guilty when buying more expensive cuts of meat for other meals.

1 medium onion
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
4 garlic cloves
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup dry white wine
1 x 28 oz. can tomatoes, crushed or diced
1/4 cup of half and half or whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan for garnish

I you have a food processor, process the first four ingredients until very fine.  If not,shred the ingredients on a box grater.  You want this mixture to look almost like slush.
In a 4 to 5 quart pot, brown the ground turkey in the olive oil, breaking the meat up.  Add the processed vegetable mixture and Italian seasoning and continue to saute for about 6 or 7 minutes. Add the wine and tomatoes and simmer for up to an hour, until the sauce becomes very thick. (If you believe it's thickening too fast, add a little water to thin).  After an hour add the milk or half and half, salt and pepper and simmer a few more minutes.Serve over spaghetti garnished with the parmesan. 

No comments:

Post a Comment