Cozy winter comfort is what we're after these days and this Easy 30 Minute Healthy Ground Turkey Bolognese Recipe hits the spot for chilly winter evening dinners. Serve with your favorite baguette and a glass of Napa Valley Cabernet and it's the perfect cozy, comforting meal to cue any winter blues.

Scroll down for this simple bolognese sauce recipe and pin or print the recipe to save for your weeknight dinner rotation.

Portrait image of shell pasta tossed with Turkey Bolognese in this easy weeknight dinner recipe.

What You'll Love About This 30-Minute Turkey Bolognese Recipe

We're giving the classic bolognese sauce a healthy spin with our favorite lean ground turkey from our friends at Diestel. Protein packed and flavor rich, this healthy turkey bolognese sauce is ready in 30 minutes time.

You'll love how easy this sauce is to make with a mix of fresh herbs and crushed San Marzano tomatoes. A bit of red wine helps to add depth of flavor to the quick simmered sauce that tastes even better next day. Top with your favorite pasta and you've got a delicious dinner that feels like it spent hours slow cooking but took no time at all.

Ingredients for This Easy Turkey Bolognese Recipe

While the traditional bolognese incorporates whole milk, breadcrumbs, and ground beef, we're making a few swaps to craft a lighter version of this hearty sauce. Here's what we'll need to make it:

Ground Turkey. Ground turkey breast or dark ground turkey work really well in this healthy bolognese sauce. We love the ground turkey products at Diestel for this recipe.
Olive Oil. When we have a simpler list of ingredients, using the highest quality becomes important. I love the 100% California blend from California Olive Ranch. I also opt for local olive oils milled at The Olive Press or Hudson.
Carrots, onion, celery. Our mirepoix here serves as the foundational base for our turkey meat sauce. The balance of the carrots, celery, and onion help to flavor our quick marinara sauce.
Garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Aromatics to help add some warmth to our sauce. If you prefer, you can cut the amount of crushed red pepper flakes used in half.
Fresh basil leaves. I have a countertop pot of basil that I keep growing year-round so even in winter it's my favorite way to add fresh flavors to our comforting sauce. If you don't have fresh basil leaves on hand you can opt for dried. You can also add in a couple bay leaves or a teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning.
Crushed Tomatoes. If I have the time to make a roasted tomato sauce, I'll opt for that. But in the spirit of shaving a couple of minutes, we're using canned crushed tomatoes here. To pump up the volume of flavor, you can also opt for a tablespoon or two or tomato paste.
Red Wine. I've seen white wine used in bolognese recipes and that is a valid option. Our house prefers to drink red wine and a jammy Napa Valley Cabernet has become a quick favorite. When it comes to choosing a red wine, pick the one you like to drink or plan to serve with the meal. You also do not have to have to use red wine but if looking to add some umami accents I'd recommend a splash of good, syrupy balsamic vinegar.
Parmesan. We're using both a parmesan rind and some fresh grated parmesan cheese. Since we're not using heavy cream or whole milk, I'm generous with our use of grated parmesan here to finish the sauce. It's still light but maintains that pure comfort food status.

How To Make This Simple Turkey Pasta Sauce

In 30 minutes time, you'll have this delicious turkey bolognese sauce ready for your favorite dried pasta or roasted spaghetti squash. Here's how we make it:

First, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 4 quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and season with the ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook vegetables until softened and translucent, about 7 minutes.
Next, add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and ground turkey. Cook until turkey is browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes.
Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes and give the sauce a stir to combine. Pour ⅓ cup red wine into the now emptied can of crushed tomatoes and swirl to rinse out any remaining crushed tomato liquid still in the can. Pour the wine and tomato sauce mixture into the pot.
Give the sauce a good stir then add in the chopped fresh basil and the parmesan rind. Simmer sauce until thickened and flavors meld together, about 15 minutes.
Remove parmesan rind and discard. Ladle sauce over cook pasta or grain of choice. Enjoy.

Final Tips & Storage FAQ

This Easy Turkey Bolognese Recipe is one of the first recipes I reach for when it is cold outside and we're in search of comfort. Make a double batch to freeze for future dinners. Sharing a few final tips to make the most of this family favorite:

Freezer Friendly Tips: If freezing leftovers, make sure to cool the sauce completely before portioning out sauce into souper cubes or freezer safe bags. Label and date. You can store leftover turkey bolognese sauce in the freezer for up to 6 months.
A substitution for Crushed Tomatoes: You can also use your favorite store bought jar of marinara in lieu of the can of tomatoes. Jar sauces are already preseasoned so keep this in mind when simmering the sauce as you may not need to salt it as much.
Add extra veggies! This light yet rich sauce is a great starting point for any additional vegetables you'd like to add. Some of my favorites depending on the season: spinach in winter, peas in spring, zucchini in summer, and sprouted broccoli in fall.

More Easy Weeknight Meal Ideas to Try

For more easy weeknight dinner ideas, check out these favorites:

Easy 30 Minute Healthy Ground Turkey Bolognese Recipe

Frances Kellar

Simple and delicious is what we're after for Easy Weeknights and this 30 Minute Healthy Ground Turkey Bolognese checks all this boxes. Serve with your favorite pasta or grain for a comforting, hearty weeknight winter dinner.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian, American

Servings servings

Equipment

1 4 quart dutch oven

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
2 medium carrots peeled and finely chopped
½ yellow onion finely chopped
2 celery stalks ends trimmed and finely chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
⅓ cup red wine
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 Parmesan rind
½ cup grated parmesan

Instructions

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 4 quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and season with the ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook vegetables until softened and translucent, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and ground turkey. Cook until turkey is browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes.
Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes and give the sauce a stir to combine. Pour ⅓ cup red wine into the now emptied can of crushed tomatoes and swirl to rinse out any remaining crushed tomato liquid still in the can. Pour the wine and tomato sauce mixture into the pot.
Give the sauce a good stir then add in the chopped fresh basil and the parmesan rind. Simmer sauce until thickened and flavors meld together, about 15 minutes.
Remove parmesan rind and discard. Ladle sauce over cook pasta or grain of choice. Enjoy.