This is a family recipe of ours that tastes absolutely delicious. A lot of people get intimidated when they think of making their own spaghetti sauce but this recipe is incredibly simple, tastes much better than most canned sauces, and is lower in sodium and sugar than most canned spaghetti sauces. I usually will make this recipe in bulk and freeze it in 1.5 cup portion sizes to use during the week. You can serve it over whole wheat spaghetti (I actually prefer the Food for Life brand Ezekial pasta), served over Ezekial toast, over spaghetti squash, or even shredded cabbage. If preferred, you could substitute the ground turkey for ground chicken, ground venison, or even extra lean ground beef.
Ingredients (makes 5-6 servings):
–1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
–one medium onion, chopped
–1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced (about 4-6 cloves)
–1 package of sliced mushrooms (optional)
–(1) 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
–(1) 28 oz can tomato sauce
–1 tbsp dried parsley
–1 tbsp dried basil
–1 tbsp dried oregano
–1tsp black pepper
–2 lb extra lean ground turkey
–Appx. 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp black pepper, and 1 Tbsp garlic powder to season ground turkey
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan add the olive oil, onions, garlic and mushrooms (optional). Sautee on medium heat until onions are transparent.
2. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and pepper into the saucepan.
3. In a separate skillet, season the extra lean ground turkey with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
4. Cook on medium heat until thoroughly browned.
5. Drain any fat and add to large saucepan. You can serve immediately or if you have time to let everything simmer together, the flavors will continue to develop. You can allow the sauce to simmer for up to 3 hours (stirring occasionally) for better flavor but is not necessary.
I will usually make this recipe in a double or triple batch and freeze the sauce in Ziploc baggies. I will measure out 1 or 2 portion sizes and put it in a freezer Ziploc bag. To defrost, you can either take out the night before or just let the Ziploc bag sit (unopened) in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 20 minutes or so, until defrosted. You may need to add a little bit of water to the sauce after defrosting if it seems too thick.
Nutritional Information (with mushrooms):
- One Serving: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 228
- Fat: 4g
- Carbs: 9g
- Protein: 40g
- Sugar: 4g
If you want an easy recipe spaghetti sauce recipe that you and your family will love, try this ground turkey recipe! You will be amazed at how easy it is and how much better it takes than store-bought sauce. You can find more of my easy and quick recipes check out my “Cook Smarter, Not Harder” cookbook!
