Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stick
- 3 garlic
Protein
- 450 g ground turkey
Sauce and Pasta
- 30 g tomato paste
- 800 g crushed tomatoes
- 480 ml chicken broth
- 300 g dried penne pasta
- 2 g dried oregano
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper
Finishing
- 30 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 5 fresh basil, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 632 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbohydrates
- 84 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 1527 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 85 mg
- Potassium
- 1615 mg
- Calcium
- 211 mg
- Iron
- 8.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 131 mg
- Phosphorus
- 540 mg
- Zinc
- 5.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 311 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 29 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 5.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 26 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.88 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.78 mg
- Niacin
- 16.6 mg
- Folate
- 227 mcg
- Water
- 461 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef knife and cutting board, finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery. Mince the garlic cloves.
Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until the vegetables are softened and the onions become translucent.
Add the ground turkey and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook, breaking the meat apart into small crumbles with your spoon, until the turkey is fully browned and reaches a safe internal temperature of 74C or 165F.
Stir in the tomato paste, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook for one minute, allowing the tomato paste to toast and deepen in color.
Pour the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth into the skillet. Stir thoroughly, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring the liquid to a rapid boil.
Add the dried penne pasta, pressing it gently into the liquid to ensure it is submerged. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer. Stir every few minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Let the dish rest for two minutes to allow the sauce to set, then top with grated parmesan cheese and torn fresh basil leaves before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Using a deep, wide skillet is crucial for one-pan pasta dishes to allow even liquid evaporation and enough surface area for the pasta to cook uniformly.
- Ground turkey is extremely lean. Taking the time to properly caramelize the aromatics and toast the tomato paste builds the necessary depth of flavor that turkey lacks compared to richer meats like beef or pork.
- The starch released by the dry pasta cooking directly in the sauce creates an incredibly rich, naturally emulsified bolognese that clings perfectly to every noodle.
- Do not skip stirring during the simmer step. The concentrated starches will quickly sink to the bottom and scorch if left completely unattended.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Pasta will absorb more liquid over time, making it slightly softer upon reheating.
Freezer: 2 months — The texture of the cooked pasta may become slightly mushy upon thawing and reheating.
Reheating: Microwave with a splash of water, or heat gently on the stovetop stirring frequently.
Troubleshooting
Pasta sticks to the bottom of the pan and begins to burn.
Cause: Insufficient stirring during the simmering phase or the stovetop heat was set too high.
Fix: Do not scrape the burnt bottom. Carefully transfer the unburnt top portion of the pasta and sauce to a new pan, add a splash of water, and finish cooking gently.
Prevention: Stir thoroughly every 3 to 4 minutes during the simmer, ensuring the wooden spoon reaches the very bottom of the pan.
The sauce has completely evaporated but the pasta is still hard in the center.
Cause: The lid was not tight enough, allowing too much steam to escape, or the heat was high causing rapid evaporation.
Fix: Stir in 120ml of warm water or broth, cover tightly, and simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
Prevention: Ensure the pan is tightly covered during the simmer and the heat is kept very low.
Cultural Context
Bolognese, traditionally known as ragu alla Bolognese, is a slow-cooked meat-based sauce originating from Bologna, Italy, typically featuring a blend of meats and a rich mirepoix base. This modern Italian-American adaptation streamlines the hours-long process into a single-pan weeknight meal by utilizing quick-cooking ground turkey and cooking the pasta directly in the sauce. The technique of cooking pasta in its sauce, while not traditional for classic ragu, mirrors the risotto method and has gained immense popularity for its convenience and excellent starch integration.
