Ground turkey spaghetti is a comforting meal that’s perfect for back to school. Not only is spaghetti with ground turkey easy to make, but you can get it on the table in 35 minutes. So you don’t have to spend too much time in the kitchen, and you can spend your time on more important things like sharing a meal with your family and finding out how everybody’s day went.
Plus, who doesn’t love spaghetti right? It’s such a classic dish.
Ground turkey spaghetti is a healthier spin on a traditional dish. The meat sauce is simmered on the stove until it has the perfect flavor, then it’s tossed with gluten-free spaghetti to create a warm, filling meal.
Why Ground Turkey
Usually, ground beef is the preferred meat for spaghetti. However, my mom can’t eat red meat anymore due to health reasons. So instead of making dishes like spaghetti and shepherd’s pie with ground beef, I use ground turkey.
Moreover, ground turkey is the perfect substitute because it’s just as versatile as ground beef. You can use it to make all the recipes you use ground beef, including spaghetti, tacos, casseroles, and so much more.
Can I Use Another Meat Instead Of Ground Beef
If ground turkey is not your thing, you can use another meat. If you do not eat red meat, you can use ground chicken. You can also use ground beef or venison.
You can even use sausage. However, make sure you remove the casing from the sausage before you make the sauce. You won’t be able to break the meat into smaller pieces if you leave the casing on the sausage.
Do I Have To Use Gluten-Free Pasta
You do not have to use gluten-free pasta. You can use regular pasta or whole-grain pasta.
You can also use spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles to make this ground turkey spaghetti keto-friendly. Simply omit the tomato paste, use no-sugar-added tomato sauce, and serve it on a bed of keto-friendly pasta.
How Do You Make Ground Turkey Taste Better
Some people don’t like ground turkey because it doesn’t taste like ground beef. However, if you don’t add anything to the meat, it won’t have any flavor.
Seasonings such as salt, pepper, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder add flavor to ground turkey. You can add onions, garlic, and bell peppers or fresh or dried herbs like thyme, oregano, and basil.
Is Spaghetti With Ground Turkey Healthy
It depends on how you look at it. On the one hand, it’s made with ground turkey, which is lower in saturated fat than ground beef. It also contains fresh onions, garlic, bell peppers, and thyme, which are loaded with health benefits.
On the other hand, the meat sauce is served over a bed of gluten-free pasta, which contains 211 calories per serving. Additionally, there are 522 calories and 64.8 grams of carbs in each serving of spaghetti with ground turkey. So it may be better to eat this dish in moderation.
However, you can make this dish even healthier by adding shredded carrots, diced eggplant, or zucchini to the meat sauce and using spiralized vegetables instead of pasta.
How To Store Ground Turkey Meat Sauce
To store the meat sauce, let it cool completely. If you have a large amount of sauce, divide it into small portions by placing it into several airtight containers.
Dividing it into smaller portions will help it cool faster. Once it is cool, place the lid on the sauce and store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.
To freeze the meat sauce, let it cool completely. It’s best to freeze the meat sauce in single portions so you can pull out as many portions as you need without defrosting the entire batch of sauce.
Place it into airtight freezer-safe containers. You can also place the meat sauce into zip-lock bags to save space. Once frozen, the sauce will last 3-6 months.
More Easy Quick And Easy Dinner Recipes:
Sour Cream And Onion Chicken
Zesty Quinoa Zucchini Salad
Garlic Butter Lobster Tails
How To Make Spaghetti With Ground Turkey (Gluten-Free)
Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: Gluten-freeDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes30
minutes521
kcal35
minutesSpaghetti with ground turkey is the perfect weeknight meal. It is easy to make, tastes delicious, and comes together in 35 minutes. So you can get a tasty meal everyone will enjoy on the table in minutes on a busy evening without sacrificing the flavor.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 medium white onion, diced small
1 medium red bell pepper, diced small
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
3 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups marinara or tomato sauce
2 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons brown sugar substitute
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
8 oz. gluten-free spaghetti noodles
Directions
- Put the olive oil into a large pot and set it over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground turkey and cook it for 8 minutes, breaking it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon until it is no longer pink.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper over the ground turkey and stir to combine.
- Add the onion, red bell pepper, fresh thyme, and garlic, and cook them for 2 minutes until they are translucent.
- Next, add the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Cook it for 1 minute.
- Add the marinara or tomato sauce, brown sugar substitute, water, basil, oregano, and the remaining seasoned salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Let the turkey meat sauce come to a boil, then decrease the heat to low and cook it for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Meanwhile, cook the gluten-free spaghetti noodles in a pot of salted boiling water using the package directions.
- Drain the gluten-free pasta and divide it between 4 bowls. Add the turkey meat sauce on top and garnish it with parmesan cheese if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories521
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
17.9g
28%
- Saturated Fat 3.5g 18%
- Cholesterol 81mg 27%
- Sodium 673mg 29%
- Potassium 641mg 19%
- Total Carbohydrate
64.8g
22%
- Dietary Fiber 6.1g 25%
- Sugars 8.3g
- Protein 27.5g 56%
- Calcium 117%
- Iron 7%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
