Classic Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Turkey

This is the best, most flavorful spaghetti meat sauce— it’s made with canned San Marzano Tomatoes, red wine vinegar, fresh herbs and spices, and ground turkey. This spaghetti sauce will convince you to ditch the jarred tomato sauce for good! It’s a classic spaghetti dinner, ideal for making on busy weeknights.

The Best Spaghetti Sauce EVER!

I resisted the urge to want to call this, “THE BEST Spaghetti Sauce EVER”. Mainly because I’m sure a gazillion people think they have the best sauce ever. But also, I wanted to hint as to what actually made this “THE BEST” in my humble opinion. I even use a similar recipe for an Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce, but with a different method.

What makes this sauce extra special?

• Ground turkey and sausage: This easy pasta recipe with ground turkey also includes sausage: a combo that is so delicious.
• San Marzano Tomatoes: These tomatoes are the absolute best canned tomatoes you will ever find. And trust me, they make a huge difference in flavor when it comes to your sauce. I learned at an Italian cooking class that the worst tomatoes are used as diced tomatoes, and they save the best ones in the cans of whole tomatoes. Makes perfect sense to me!
• Red wine vinegar: Most spaghetti sauces fall flat with flavor. The secret to adding more depth of flavor is with red wine vinegar! That extra tang seals the deal.

So this is a recipe I’ve been making for years. It always, always, always pleases everyone who eats it. It’s a staple in my household, as as a nutritionist with kids, I know how important it is to have some comfort food dishes that are flavorful and healthy to add to your dinner rotations! Everyone in my family always looks forward to a healthy pasta dinner, and this ground turkey pasta sauce is no exception.

How to make this Ground Turkey pasta sauce:

Although this is a recipe that tastes better with time, it does not require hours and hours spent at the stove. It’s quite simple to throw together.

• Start by sautéing onion and garlic in a dutch oven or large saucepan.
• Add in the sausage and ground turkey, cooking until browned. Now, add some salt and Italian Seasoning
• We then add in San Marzano tomatoes (breaking up the large tomatoes), tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar.
• Let simmer for as little as 30 minutes, or up to a few hours!

Serving with spaghetti squash:

You can serve over traditional spaghetti noodles. BUT, My favorite way to serve spaghetti is over spaghetti squash. This lightens up the recipe A LOT!!! Plus, it allows me to fill my belly without feeling overly full as I do with pasta.

I make my spaghetti squash by heating my oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the spaghetti squash around the equator. Scoop out the seeds and sprinkle with sea salt. Place spaghetti squash flat side down on a baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes, then use a fork to pull out the spaghetti squash strings.

Tips:

• Storing: this spaghetti only gets better with time! You can let it sit in the fridge all week and enjoy the leftovers. The flavors really get even better!
• Freezing: this spaghetti definitely freezes well. Store in a container with a lid for up to 3 months. Defrost by placing in a large pot over low heat.
• Fresh basil: is my favorite addition to a bowl of spaghetti and a fantastic way to get in more nutrients!

Vegetable Side Dishes:

I also love serving this with a few of my favorite veggie side dishes:

• Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon
• Roasted Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
• Skillet Green Beans

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Classic Spaghetti with Ground Turkey

This Classic Spaghetti recipe combines ground turkey and sausage for ideal flavor! So simple to make and sure to become a hit with the family.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Author Amy Rains

5 from 12 votes

Print

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large sweet yellow onion finely diced
• 4 large cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb ground turkey*
• 1 lb turkey sausage or ground italian sausage
• 2 28 oz cans San Marzano Whole Tomatoes
• 3 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil optional

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot to medium high heat, add olive oil to grease the pot. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant. Add both ground turkey and sausage. Cook sausage and turkey until no longer pink (8-10 mins).

2. Add tomatoes, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and salt. Stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Immediately turn heat to low and let simmer.

3. Simmer for at least 1 hour, up to 2 hours. Before serving add red pepper and basil.
4. Serve with spaghetti squash, or pasta noodles.

Recipe Notes

*You can use ground beef in place of turkey.
This recipe tastes better the second day, and will last up until 1 week in the fridge. It also freezes well.