Classic Italian-style bolognese sauce made lighter with ground turkey and zucchini noodles! This one-pan dinner is loaded with an unbelievable amount of flavor.
It’s 30-minute Thursday, guys! And Italian-night Thursday! And yes, I totally made that last one up on the spot because I have Italian nomz to shove in your face today.
So just go with it.
So question, guys: are veggie noodles still super-trendy and hip or has that ship sailed? Please say it hasn’t because I recently got a brand-new spiralizer that I’m sorta obsessed with and I’ve also got like 5 million recently-inspired veggie noodle ideas that I want to scream to the world about, but mostly eat.
And just in case you’re wondering about the months-long veggie noodle-less hiatus, it’s because my previous not one, but TWO spiralizers bit the dust and I never got around to replacing them. Until my mom did it for me because my mom is the best and also because she desperately wanted zoodles. Poor Mom. It’s been too long without veggie noodles.
So I made my mom a panful of this Italian gorgeousness. Classic Italian bolognese sauce gone HEALTHY and green-ish. It’s how we roll around here.
And man, oh, man. You are not even going to miss the regular pasta even a tiny bit, guys. My mom and I swear on all 350 zucchinis we’re currently hoarding for future zoodles.
Okay, guys. Let’s talk dinner. Don’t let the fancy-schmancy Italian gobbledygook name in my title scare you. In addition, you will also find those two golden words called, “30 minute” which is also code for BAM, WIN.
The bolognese sauce (ahh! so fancy and I ♥ it) is seriously the bomb. It tastes like a rich Italian sauce that simmered on the stove all day, but in reality it only took 30 minutes to cook and develop all those glorious flavors. Sneaky sauces are the best kind. 😛
I use all kinds of aromatics in my bolognese to bring out the POW of flavors. Lots of garlic, some diced onion and carrot, a little red wine, and tons of fresh basil just before serving. The great thing about this sauce is that you can let it simmer for however long you wish. It can be ready in under 30 minutes, but you can also hold it on the stove at a low simmer for hours if you desire so.
And just before it’s chow-time…here come the zucchini noodles in all their glory. Nestle ’em right into the sauce like so, cover the pan and let the noodles soak in the sauce no more than 5 minutes, just to get them a little softened. Don’t let them sit any long than 5 minutes otherwise they’ll turn to green mush and that is just no good.
Parm cheese by the truckload on top is also necessary at this point, peeps. Rule number 2 in how to eat fancy-schmancy Italian fare the right way.
Rule number 1, you may ask? Lick the skillet and leave nary a noodle behind.
30-Minute Turkey Bolgonese Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 medium carrot finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup half-and-half warmed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- 4 medium zucchinis spiralized
- Grated Parmesan cheese for topping optional
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground turkey, onion, carrot, and garlic until meat is no longer pink and veggies are lightly caramelized, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to medium and slowly add red win to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits with a spoon. Stir in tomato paste until incorporated, then add crushed tomatoes.
- Bring sauce to a simmer over medium heat, then slowly stir in half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add basil. Keep sauce warm until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, add zucchini noodles to pot and gently stir to coat noodles. Cover pot and let stand no more than 5 minutes for noodles to soften, then serve noodles immediately with Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Be sure to click around all the other bloggers 30-Minute Thursday recipes!
Mushroom Barley Soup from Pumpkin ‘N Spice
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30-Minute Spicy Orange Shrimp Teriyaki from Flavor the Moments
Browned Butter Shrimp and Rice Bowls with Sautéed Kale and Avocado from Floating Kitchen
Spinach Pesto and Tomato Flatbread Pizzas from Kristine’s Kitchen
Tex-Mex Taco Salad from My Kitchen Craze
Sweet and Sour Meatballs from Bake. Eat. Repeat.
20-Minute Ham and Pineapple Rice from The Recipe Rebel
Seasoned Chickpea Taco Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing from She Likes Food
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