Recipe: One Pot Turkey Bolognese

Turkey Bolognese

Summer comfort in a bowl.

Summer has sprung! Sometimes we want comfort in a bowl, but we are also in the mood for something that feels a little lighter or just a new take on a classic. In this version of Bolognese sauce, we choose turkey and forgo the pancetta of the traditional route in order to brighten up our sauce while doubling down on on the tomato flavour. Though I portion this out to one pound of turkey meat, it is the kind of recipe that is really easy to scale up or down. Another thing that makes this recipe super easygoing is that all the cooking is done all one pot, on the stovetop. When it comes to the spring and summer seasons, I love to grow my own herbs and keep a lot of basil near. Just the scent and presence of one leaf brings a freshness to the dish, so don’t miss this garnish.

As you may have already seen on Instagram, I have been absolutely loving my suite of KitchenAid appliances in the new ToFoodies Home Studio and so, of course! This recipe is an ode & reminder of the pleasure of cooking on my KitchenAid® 36’’ Smart Commercial-Style Gas Range. The simmering is so even and gentle that I never have to worry about the bottom of my pot. In the recipe below, you will see that I have two methods for cooking - one that is low and slow, and one at a higher heat. I do this because we all have different schedules and lifestyles, and the oven has Three-Level Convertible Grates with removable inserts to help match your method. Leave the insert level for high-heat or flip it over to lift your pan above the flame to simmer and melt (or remove them when you are nestling in a wok). For one person, it might work amazingly that they can leave the pot on the stove all day while working from home and let the KitchenAid® Range’s 5K BTU Simmer & Melt burner do all the work. Or for the timesaving folks, you can achieve similar results over less time with higher heat, but more stirring is needed. With a similar “set it and forget it” vibe, the oven has wifi(!!!!!!!) and there’s also a handy KitchenAid™ App to control the oven’s temperature and mode. It brings me an immense amount of joy and a feeling of control to know that I will never have to worry about if I turned the oven off, ever again! Plus, for those who celebrate, there is even a Sabbath mode.

This is one beautifully designed appliance that everyone comments on when they enter the kitchen, but she’s got brains, too. And this is also one very smart sauce. As you cook, you can feel how you are building the layers of flavours on top of one another. Then, the real magic comes when it all comes together…

Ingredients 

  • 1 Lb of ground Turkey 

  • 1 can of Whole Tomatoes (794 grams)

  • 1 Tablespoon of Tomato Paste 

  • 1  Jar of Tomato Passata (680 ml)

  • 1 Cup of Chicken Stock 

  • 1 Cup of Red Wine 

  • 1 Onion (small dice)

  • 1 Large Carrot (shredded)

  • 1 Celery (small dice)

  • 3 cloves of garlic (minced)

  • 1/2 Cup of Milk 

  • 1 Cup of Chicken stock

  • Salt and pepper - to taste  

  • Olive Oil 

  • Basil 

  • 1 Lb fresh Mafalde or your favourite pasta shape* 

  • Optional: Rosemary or Fennel Seed

    *For the pasta, I picked up these individual balls of Malfade pasta at a local shop in Roncesvalles. The shape and the grooves are perfect for a chunky sauce like this and fun fact: it is the same shape that I served at my wedding. The turkey bolognese gets in there as you roll up the strands, and the experience is just magic! You could live all your Lady & the Tramp fantasies with this one.

Time Ready in 1 hour after high heat & stirring OR for Low And Slow: Simmer on low heat with occasional stirs for up to 8 hours for my favourite texture and turkey tenderness.  

Serves - Enough sauce for 4, and scales up very easily.

Method

  1. In a large pot - on high heat - brown your turkey meat for a little extra colour and texture. Set aside.

  2. Sauté your onions in the same pot - on medium heat - until fragrant. Scrape the bottom of the pan for all the turkey bits that have caramelized on the bottom of the pan. Then add in your garlic, carrot, and celery and cook together for 5 minutes.

  3. Deglaze the pan by pouring in the wine, covering the turkey meat, once again using your spatula or cooking tool to scrape up all the bits. Cook the turkey and wine together for 5-10 minutes. You are waiting until the strong smell of alcohol has the left the wine, which will leave you with all its robust flavour.

  4. Hand crush your tomatoes and then add passata, milk and chicken stock to the pot together. Stir together.

  5. Season with salt and pepper. Start with one tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and wait until later to taste it. Since we are reducing the sauce, we don’t want to over-season too early or we will be left with a very salty sauce once it all cooks down.

  6. Let the KitchenAid® Commercial-Style Range do the rest! For a quick sauce, this will be ready in 1 hour after medium high heat & stirring often with the pot uncovered. OR for low and slow: Simmer on low heat with a covered pot with occasional stirs for 3 hours or up to 8 hours for my favourite texture and turkey tenderness.  

  7. Before serving, taste the sauce and finish seasoning it with salt and pepper.

  8. Optional - For additional flavour bombs, you can add one tablespoon of fennel seed to the sauce while cooking or one tablespoon very finely chopped rosemary. To me, the fennel seed feels more summery and the rosemary gives more winter vibes.

  9. For plating - cook your pasta according to the instructions and toss in with the sauce when it is finishes. Serve communally from a bowl with a generous dusting of Parmesan on top and a leaf or two of basil, with a generous splash of olive oil on top.

Paid Partnership with KitchenAid® Canada.

Recipes, Lifestyle, CookingDanielle Finestoneturkey, recipe, bolognese, raguComment