Published: Sep 11, 2022 · Last Updated: Mar 20, 2023 by Dr. Sonali Ruder · This post may contain affiliate links · 34 Comments

Healthy Turkey Bolognese Sauce

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Who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of slowly simmered meat sauce tossed with pasta and freshly grated cheese? It's the ultimate comfort food! My Healthy Turkey Bolognese Sauce is a lightened up version of the classic Italian dish that doesn't skimp on flavor. Serve it over pasta, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash for the perfect family-friendly dinner.

I have a weakness for Italian food, especially pasta. I make a lot of Italian dishes at home like my spinach gnudi, salmon oreganata, orecchiette with kale and turkey sausage, and lemon risotto with peas and asparagus.

Now I'm excited to bring you this healthy spaghetti bolognese, which I make with my delicious turkey bolognese sauce. This dish is my kind of comfort food- a hearty tomato sauce packed with vegetables and ground turkey.

It's delicious tossed with spaghetti if you're in the mood for hearty comfort food. If you want a lighter, low carb option, serve it on top of zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Dish
What is Bolognese Sauce?
Healthy Bolognese Sauce with Ground Turkey
The Secret Ingredient in Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
Step-By-Step Instructions
Chef's Tips
How to Serve This Sauce
Storage
Recipe FAQs
More Italian Recipes
Recipe
Reviews

Why You'll Love This Dish

Hearty comfort food- you'll want to curl up with a bowl of this sauce tossed with your favorite pasta!
Healthy- this is a lightened up version of traditional spaghetti bolognese
Freezes well- make a double batch and freeze half for later
Kid-friendly- who doesn't love pasta with meat sauce? Your kids will thank you!

What is Bolognese Sauce?

Bolognese sauce is a traditional meat-based sauce originating from Bologna, Italy. Known in Italian as ragù alla bolognese, this hearty sauce starts off with a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery that are sautéed in olive oil.

Then, ground meat (usually beef and pork) is added along with wine, tomato puree, tomato paste, milk, and herbs. The sauce is then simmered on the stove for hours to thicken it and concentrate the flavors.

In Italy, bolognese sauce is typically served with tagliatelle, a broad, flat pasta. It's the ultimate comfort food!

In America, bolognese sauce is often served with spaghetti. Spaghetti Bolognese, commonly known as spaghetti with meat sauce, features spaghetti tossed in the hearty meat sauce and topped with grated parmesan cheese.

Everyone has their own favorite bolognese sauce recipe. Now I'm excited to share my version with you!

My Healthy Turkey Bolognese is lighter than traditional bolognese without sacrificing any of the rich flavor. This healthy spaghetti bolognese is a great dish to make on a lazy Sunday when you can let it simmer away on the stove for hours to let the flavors concentrate.

But the good news is that this ground turkey bolognese sauce is also easy enough to make on busy weeknights. You'll still get plenty of flavor letting it simmer for just 30 minutes.

Healthy Bolognese Sauce with Ground Turkey

Bolognese sauce starts with a base of onions, carrots, and celery (known as Italian soffritto). So you're actually getting a good amount of veggies in this dish. Sometimes to incorporate even more vegetables, I'll add some chopped mushrooms.

Traditional bolognese sauce is made with ground beef, pork, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and red wine.

To make this healthy bolognese sauce, I use lean ground turkey instead of beef and pork. Ground turkey lightens up the dish considerably but still provides plenty of flavor.

Traditional bolognese also uses red wine for depth of flavor. However, I use white wine in my sauce. I find that a full-bodied white wine like a Chardonnay is the perfect pairing for the ground turkey.

The Secret Ingredient in Bolognese Sauce

What's the secret to creamy bolognese sauce? Milk!

While it may seem odd to add a dairy product like milk to a meaty tomato sauce, milk is an essential component in traditional Italian bolognese.

Milk tenderizes the meat and also creates a silky sauce. It also balances out the acidity from the tomatoes and lends a more delicate taste to the sauce.

Ingredients

Olive oil- I use heart-healthy olive oil
Onion, carrots, and celery (soffritto) form the flavorful base of this sauce
Garlic- you can't have tomato sauce without garlic!
Ground turkey- I uses 93% lean ground turkey
Herbs and spices- thyme, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
Tomato paste
Crushed tomatoes
Milk- I recommend whole milk or 2%
Wine- I prefer white wine in this dish and use a full-bodied Chardonnay; however, you can use any dry white wine or even red wine if you prefer

Step-By-Step Instructions

Collage of steps 1-4 how to make turkey bolognese sauce.

Step 1- Sauté finely chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil in a large pot like a Dutch oven. To make your prep easier, you can use a mini food processor to chop all the vegetables.
Step 2- Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Stir in the tomato paste and cook a minute or two.
Step 3- Add the milk. Simmer a few minutes until the milk is reduced.
Step 4- Add the wine. The wine you choose is important because the flavors will concentrate and it will impact the taste of the finished sauce. I use a full-bodied Chardonnay in this sauce.

Finally, add the crushed tomatoes and herbs and let it simmer away on low heat. I recommend simmering the sauce for at least 30 minutes to thicken it and to let the flavors concentrate.

But if you have time, let it simmer for a couple of hours. The longer you cook it, the better this sauce gets.

Chef's Tips

Use a wine that you enjoy drinking since the flavor will concentrate and it will impact the taste of the finished sauce.
Adding milk to the sauce makes it silky and balances out the acidity from the tomatoes.
To save time, chop your veggies in a mini food processor.
Toss the bolognese sauce with your favorite pasta like tagliatelle or spaghetti. Add a little pasta water as needed to coat the strands of pasta. Top with grated parmesan cheese before serving this healthy spaghetti bolognese.
For a low carb option, serve the sauce with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.
Make a double batch of this recipe and freeze it for a future meal. Bolognese sauce freezes beautifully!

How to Serve This Sauce

The classic way to serve bolognese sauce is to serve it with cooked pasta like tagliatelle or spaghetti. I like to use whole grain pasta to add a boost of nutrients to the dish.

When you're ready to serve the dish, toss the cooked pasta in the pot with the bolognese sauce. Add a little bit of the pasta water as needed to coat all the strands of pasta.

Then, top this healthy spaghetti bolognese with freshly grated parmesan cheese (or my 4-ingredient dairy-free parmesan).

For a low carb option, serve the sauce with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.

You can serve this dish with garlic bread or my tasty Pan con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread) on the side. If you're looking for a low-carb recipe, try my Cauliflower Cheesy Bread.

Pair it with a vegetable or salad like my Roasted Asparagus and Grape Tomatoes or Tuscan Kale and Apple Salad.

And finally, don't forget to pour yourself a glass of wine to enjoy with this dish. Buon appetito!

Storage

Bolognese sauce is one of those dishes that just gets better with time! As it sits in the fridge, the flavors meld, so this sauce tastes even better the next day.

You can store leftover turkey bolognese sauce in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It also freezes beautifully and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I recommend freezing the sauce by itself (without the pasta) in an airtight container or freezer storage bag. Then, when you need a quick weeknight meal, just boil some pasta and toss it with the defrosted sauce.

Spaghetti with healthy turkey bolognese sauce in a white bowl with a bottle and glass of white wine in the background.

Recipe FAQs

Can spaghetti bolognese be healthy?

Yes, my spaghetti bolognese is healthier than the traditional dish. I use heart-healthy olive oil and lean ground turkey instead of the traditional combination of beef and pork. You can serve this sauce with whole grain spaghetti to incorporate nutritious whole grains into the dish. If you're looking for a low carb option, you can serve the sauce with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.

Why do you add milk to bolognese ?

Milk tenderizes the meat and also creates a silky sauce. It also balances out the acidity from the tomatoes and lends a more delicate taste to the sauce.

Can you freeze spaghetti bolognese?

Bolognese sauce freezes beautifully! I recommend freezing the sauce by itself (without the pasta) in an airtight container or freezer storage bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The flavors meld and get better as it sits in the fridge.

What is the difference between bolognese sauce and spaghetti sauce?

Bolognese sauce is a thicker, richer sauce made with meat (typically beef and pork) simmered in a tomato sauce with white wine and milk. Spaghetti sauce is made with just tomatoes (no meat) and is thinner.