The Savvy Sartorialist: Delish Turkey Bolognese and Squash Spaghetti

Not to brag about this dish, but it's good... and good for you too! I switched out beef for turkey and loaded the sauce with a bunch of hidden vegetables. After simmering it for 3-4 hours, it's perfection. I made it healthier by using spaghetti squash instead of pasta (Woo-hoo! No carbs!)

I have been trying to find a delicious, but healthy bolognese sauce ever since my trip to Italy last summer. I gained 10 lbs during the 2 weeks I was there, but each pound was worth it when I start to reminisce about the food (ha, what Mediterranean diet?) I'm not saying Italian food is unhealthy and fattening, it's the opposite. I just over did it and justified the extra helping(s) of pasta and gelato thinking, "When in Rome..." because I was quite literally in Rome... then Milan...Venice... Florence... Naples... Sorrento... Positano... and Capri. By the time I reached Capri, I was well beyond my bikini body, but I had better things on my mind. With each new city, came new dishes, drinks, and desserts to try:

How cute is this restaurant in Rome? There was a violinist nearby and even in the middle of the day it was romantic and picturesque. It was here where I had authentic Bolognese sauce and could have died from happiness after eating the best pasta of my life.

Yum!

The culprit... and inspiration behind this recipe.

The victim. See that look of euphoria on my face? If it wasn't socially unacceptable (or if no one was there to judge me), I would have licked that plate clean.

With the owner of one of the best restaurants in Sorrento, Italy - Ristorante L'Antica Trattoria. From the minute you sit down to your last bite of dessert, it was an exceptional culinary experience.

Before this becomes a slideshow of food pictures from Italy, let me refocus. For this particular bolognese sauce you'll need the following:

Ingredients: (makes about 8-10 servings)

2 pounds ground turkey
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 whole green bell peppers, diced
1 large carrot, diced or shredded
1 zucchini, finely diced
2 tbsp of minced garlic
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 jar Arabiatta or Fra Diavolo sauce
1 tsp ground oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground thyme
4-5 bay leaves
2 tbsp brown sugar
kosher salt
1/4 cup of minced parsley or 3 tbsp parsley flakes
1 whole rind from parmesan wedge
4-5 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan

For Spagetti Squash Noodles:

1 spagetti squash

Directions:

1) In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until totally browned. Remove meat from pot with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl. Set aside.

2) Discard any grease in pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the onions, bell peppers, carrots, and zucchini. Stir it around for about 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

3) Pour in 1 cup of beef broth for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and marinara sauce. Stir to combine, then add oregano, thyme, sugar, salt, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper (if using).

4) Stir, then add cooked ground turkey and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or some low-sodium broth if it needs more liquid.

5) After an hour, add the minced parsley and the rind from a wedge of Parmesan (or grated Parmesan if you prefer). A little trick I do after I taste test the sauce is add a couple tsp of balsamic vinegar. This is optional so test your sauce to see if it needs anything. Stir to combine, then put the lid back on and allow it to simmer for another hour.

6) At this point, work on the Spaghetti Squash: Preheat oven to 375, slice squash lengthwise and put in a cooking dish with about 1 1/2 inches of water. Cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, take out, flip the squash over, and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes. Take a fork and scrape squash.

7) The sauce should be thick by this point. Discard bay leaves before serving. Top each serving with minced basil and grated Parmesan. Enjoy!!

Make sure to finely chop your vegetables and set aside as you brown your meat first. This is a great recipe to use with kids because you can hide essential vegetables in a delicious sauce.

Cooking tip: Make sure to use a deep pot or soup pot to cook the sauce. It is also important to use a dish that has a lid as this will need to simmer, covered, for a couple of hours. Your place will start to smell amazing as this cooks! Mmmmm!

Spaghetti squash is ridiculously easy to make and it's a great alternative to use instead of pasta. Simple take a fork, after it has baked for an hour, and scrape the squash pulp for naturally squash noodles. If you want to take it up a notch, you can always saute the noodles in olive oil, salt and pepper, and fresh herbs like oregano and thyme.