Between the homemade turkey Bolognese last night and crock pot lasagna taste test at work, it’s been an Italian-packed 24 hours.
I saw a recipe (and photo – gorgeous!) on Faith’s blog, An Edible Mosaic. It was one of those many dishes that screams “make me!”. Some of you may know that my husband lived in Italy for 2 years (our entire engagement), and I was the lucky lady occupying the Italian villa for a summer. Ahhh…those were the days.
It is therefore no surprise that I acquired a love for good Italian food. And this recipe was DELICIOUS! Yes, a bit spendy on time, but the flavors and nutrition are enough to negate any lengths of simmering to perfection.
Turkey Bolognese adapted from An Edible Mosaic
Yield: 8 servings
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 slices turkey bacon, finely diced
2 medium onion, finely diced
2 large stalks celery, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried Italian herb mix
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (with juices)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 c stock (turkey, chicken, beef, or veggie)
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp butter (optional, for finishing the sauce)
8 Tbsp Parmesan cheese – 1 Tbsp per portion for garnish
Prepared pasta (for serving)
In a 5-quart pot with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the turkey bacon and sauté until browned (about 5 minutes), then add the onion, celery, and carrot and sauté until the veggies are starting to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the turkey and cook until browned (about 5 minutes), then add the balsamic vinegar. Let the vinegar deglaze the pot by using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom. Stir in the salt, pepper, bay, dried Italian herb mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Simmer the sauce (uncovered) on low heat for about 2 hours (stirring occasionally) or until it’s thickened up to your desired consistency. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.
Serve with your favorite (whole wheat) pasta and garnished with Parmesan cheese and served with a green salad, if preferred.
Nutrition Information (per serving): 220 calories; 6.5 g. fat; 53 mg. cholesterol; 1034 mg sodium; 17.6 g. carbohydrate; 4.9 g. fiber; 22.8 g. protein
Today was again another taste test day at my clinic. I made the crock pot lasagna I raved about last week. It got huge thumbs up from the crowd. I love the emails that flood in over the afternoon hours…
“It was delicious!”
“Thank you, Nicole! Another delicious recipe to try on the family!”
“Wow! This is definitely a recipe I need to take home and put into practice!”
What can I say? It’s a keeper!
Question: What do you typically order when you go out for Italian cuisine? Did you know that in 3 months time I NEVER saw chicken on a menu in Italy?
Chicken parmigiana = not Italian!
I don’t negotiate on beverage of choice (Chianti), but I try to spread the food love…carbonara, marinara, and always the seafood selections! Mmmm!
Have a great night, thanks for reading! 
P.S. Any Q&A questions can be sent to PreventionRD@gmail.com — I’m planning another Q&A post early next week!
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