Spaghetti Dinner with Homemade Sauce
A healthier spaghetti dinner with ground turkey, whole wheat noodles and a simple, and simply divine, homemade sauce.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti (see notes)
- 1 to 1.25 lbs. lean ground turkey (see notes)
- 2-3 cups of spaghetti sauce
Optional toppings:
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley or basil
Instructions
- Make the spaghetti sauce if you're planning to do a homemade version. Full instructions here.
- Bring your water to a boil, salt it very generously and add your spaghetti noodles. Check your package for cooking time (usually about 7-9 minutes). Cook until al dente then drain.
- Meanwhile, brown your ground turkey in a large pan over medium heat. I don’t use olive oil - I find I don’t even need it with the fat that's in the turkey.
- Once the turkey is cooked through, add enough spaghetti sauce to your liking, starting with 2 cups and up to 3 if you like it saucy - and stir well to combine and heat through for several minutes.
- Serve the turkey and sauce over the spaghetti noodles. Add any desired toppings. Dive in!
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Notes
Pasta: Whole grain or whole wheat pasta is my go-to but regular spaghetti noodles are fine too. You can use thin spaghetti if you like, just be sure to adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions.
Turkey: I use lean ground turkey (the 7% fat kind) for spaghetti, but you can definitely sub in ground beef or a mix of ground meats if you prefer. You might just need to drain any excess grease before adding the sauce.
Sauce: This homemade spaghetti sauce is really easy to make, and I have lots of ways you can vary the flavor, but of course, it's fine to substitute a jar of store-bought marinara. I definitely do that too sometimes.
Make ahead: You can certainly make the spaghetti sauce ahead of time and can even cook the turkey ahead until browned and cooked through. Then just warm the meat and sauce mixture up in a pan while you cook the spaghetti noodles.
Leftovers: Leftover spaghetti noodles and meat sauce can be stored, once cooled, in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing: You can freeze leftover spaghetti as well. Let the noodles and meat sauce cool and then transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag or container and freeze for up to 4-5 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Tip: It helps if your noodles are cooked just until al dente so they don't get mushy when reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 1836mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 20g
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