Description
Delivering everything there is to love about classic pasta bolognese in 60 minutes or less, this hearty Easy Weeknight Bolognese is made with ground turkey, tomatoes, wine, loads of aromatics, & a simple secret ingredient eliminates the hours of simmering typically associated with scratch-made bolognese sauce without compromising any rich flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound 94% lean ground turkey
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4–6 sprigs fresh sage
- 8–10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 (one) 25-ounce jar pasta sauce of choice
- up to 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 1/4 cup half & half
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano
- 16 ounces pasta of choice
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: grated parmesan or pecorino romano, finely chopped basil or parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, etc.
Instructions
- Prep: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prep the veggies, dicing the carrot, celery, & onion. Gather & measure remaining ingredients according to Ingredients List, above, placing them within an arm’s reach of the stovetop for a smooth cooking process.
- Brown the soffritto: Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven (or large, heavy-bottomed pot with lid) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add the carrots, celery, & onion. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned & fragrant, 15-20 minutes. If the veggies begin to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. Once browned, push the soffritto mixture to the outer edges of the pot.
- Brown the turkey: Season the ground turkey all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add to the center of the pot, such that it’s surrounded by the soffritto mixture. Reduce heat to medium. Let the turkey brown 2-3 minutes without touching it, then turn it over & brown the second side 2-3 minutes before using a wooden spoon to break it apart into bite-sized pieces. Stir to combine with the soffritto mixture.
- Build the bolognese sauce: Add the garlic & tomato paste to the Dutch oven, stirring to coat the ground turkey soffritto mixture. Cook 2-3 minutes, until browned & fragrant, then build the bolognese sauce. Deglaze the pan by slowly pouring in the white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Once the wine is almost completely cooked off, add in the rosemary, sage, thyme, bay leaves, parmesan rind, pasta sauce, & chicken stock or water. Stir to combine. Bring the bolognese to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover & simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="20901,20902"]
- Cook pasta: Meanwhile, as the weeknight bolognese simmers, cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling salted water from Step 1. Cook to al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once cooked, carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta.
- Finish the pasta bolognese: Remove the lid from the pot with the bolognese sauce, increasing heat to medium-high to maintain a steady simmer. Stir the half & half and grated parmesan into the bolognese. Cook 1-2 minutes, allowing everything to meld together. Add the pasta straight into the pot, tossing to coat it in the bolognese sauce. From here, adjust as needed so the bolognese sauce evenly coats the pasta – if the mixture is too thick, toss in a little of the reserved pasta water; if the mixture is too loose, toss in an extra handful of parmesan cheese, etc. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to meld with & absorb some of the sauce.
- Serve immediately, topped with additional grated parmesan, chopped basil or parsley, &/or a sprinkling of crushed red pepper, as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage, Reheating, & Freezing:
- Pasta Bolognese Storage & Reheating: Leftover pasta bolognese will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- Make-Ahead Easy Bolognese Sauce Storage & Reheating: This easy bolognese sauce is also the perfect make-ahead recipe because it stores so well & it’s one of those things that gets even better as it sits & its flavors meld together. To store, prepare according to Steps 2-4 of Recipe Directions, above. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat bolognese sauce on the stovetop. Once simmering, finish according to Steps 5-7 of Recipe Directions, above.
- Easy Bolognese Sauce Freezer Instructions: This easy bolognese sauce is also incredibly freezer-friendly. To freeze, prepare according to Steps 2-4 of Recipe Directions, above. Once cooled, transfer to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions – these are my absolute favorite freezer containers! Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen bolognese sauce in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop. Once simmering, finish according to Steps 5-7 of Recipe Directions, above.
- Alternate Cooking Methods:
- Slow Cooker Turkey Bolognese: Prep the bolognese sauce according to Steps 2-3 of Recipe Directions, above. Add garlic & tomato paste & cook according to Step 4 of Recipe Directions, above. Transfer the weeknight bolognese meat mixture to the slow cooker, along with the fresh aromatics, pasta sauce, & broth as directed in Step 4. Slow cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish as directed in Steps 8-11; you can do this right in your slow cooker. If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to cook the entire bolognese sauce recipe (Steps 2-4, 6) in the slow cooker.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this weeknight bolognese comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance – it takes 10 minutes, tops – & you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
- Dice 2 medium carrots, 1 stalk of celery, & 1 medium yellow onion. Transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active)