Pasta with bolognese sauce is a staple in our house, but as I’ve gotten “older”, I find that ground beef sometimes sits heavy in my stomach after dinner, particularly if I go overboard with the garlic. I recently started substituting ground beef with ground turkey in my bolognese, and have been thrilled with the results. The ground turkey absorbs all the flavors of the onions and garlic, while making the sauce light, or as light as a bolognese can be. Even though this recipe is not a traditional bolognese, it has all the ingredients I love: onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Also, the broccolini gives it a nice splash of color and texture. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bunch broccolini, stalks trimmed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 white onion, finely chopped
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- splash of white wine
- pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces orecchiette
Preparation
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Add the ground turkey and the wine, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spatula. Cook until the turkey is no longer pink. Add red pepper flakes, and season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccolini and cook for approximately 1 minute. Strain broccolini, and cook the orecchiette in the same pot of boiling water according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the broccolini, the orecchiette, and the cooking water to the ground turkey mixture and stir. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
