| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a knob to add later, when pasta and sauce are mixed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
- 3 smaller carrots or 2 large, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds dark turkey meat
- 1 cup dry white wine (Italian)
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Parmesan rind
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound fusilli
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Heat the butter and oil in a shallow heavy-bottomed skillet, like a Le Creuset. Sauté the onions first, getting them translucent and soft and starting to color, about 2 minutes.
- In a mini processor, process the carrots and celery until very finely chopped; this makes a smoother sauce so I can sneak veggies past the kids. Add the carrots and celery to the skillet and mix. Add the garlic. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the turkey meat and cook, stirring, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the cup of white wine and reduce slightly. Add the tomato paste, milk, bay leaves and Parmesan rind and simmer down for a little bit, 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. It shouldn’t be too liquidy (this is a note from Stanley Tucci haha! He’s a big fan of the classic Italian Bolognese which is a dryer sauce).
- Put the lid on and transfer it to the oven. It should cook in the oven for 45 minutes with the lid on; give it a stir if you want at the midway point. I prefer the oven but you can also keep it on the stovetop if you prefer. I just think the oven adds a rich caramel-LY depth and melts everything together so beautifully. When the sauce is done, remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, then drain it, saving 1 cup or so of the pasta water.
- Pour the pasta back into the pasta pot, add the reserved water, knob of butter and the grated Parmesan cheese and mix. Add it to the sauce and stir to coat the pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve in shallow bowls.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 635 |
| Total Fat | 14 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 74 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 45 g |
| Cholesterol | 92 mg |
| Sodium | 913 mg |
Reviews
I have made this several times. First time as written. It does turn out a bit bland..but super comforting non the less. Best version for a multiple person taste test at a church supper included, swapping out plain ground turkey for Italian turkey sausage and adding 1C ish pasta sauce. Oh, and we browned the tomato paste on a bare spot in the pan, just after sauting the veg combo. Outcome was vast majority preferred the Italian turkey sausage version. Do not skip the baking part and cheese rind.
This was absolutely delicious. Followed recipe exactly. Simple ingredients come together to make something really special.
Great tasting. Love it.
I did exactly as written except I sautéed the veggies together first, then put in food processor, and then in pan with ground Turkey to brown up. So delicious.
This was so delicious! The oven time transformed it into such a rich gorgeous sauce. My Husband could not stop eating it!! I did add one tablespoon of Arrabiatta seasoning since we like ours a bit spicy. Will absolutely make this again!
Delicious I let my veggies slow cook for longer however then added the meat and added a little fennel seed in mine. I also added 8oz crushed tomatoes with the tomato paste. It was great. Thanks for sharing this keeper recipe!
Love, love, love. So delicious and cozy.
I love this recipe! Very nice texture, color, and flavor. I added crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of my homemade Italian seasoning blend. Delicious! Served with a Caesar Salad.
So very delicious. No changes or substitutions required. Definitely bake in oven as instructed. That step really enhances the flavor. Perfection!
It looked so delicious on Ina’s show. The bolognese needs much more tomato sauce! Half a can of tomato paste really doesn’t add enough flavour. I would do half the milk and a cup of tomato sauce