Turkey Bolognese OR Mushroom Bolognese (VEGETARIAN Option)
One of my favorite weeknight meals to make for my family almost always involves turkey bolognese. You can pair it with any kind of pasta, polenta, or even alone with a salad. This recipe is adapted from Marcella Hazan’s tried and true bolognese sauce. Your husband, wife, and kids will love it. BUON APPETITO!
Bolognese hack: Remember- cooking this sauce low and slow is the trick to a flavorful, thick bolognese sauce that is full of depth.
Serves up to 6
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
3/4 lb ground turkey (or lean ground beef, if you prefer) for vegetarian bolognese use 1 pound (16 ounces) assorted fresh mushrooms, diced (I used baby bellas, shiitake, cremini and porcini mushrooms)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 tbsp fennel seeds (optional but i just love this addition)
1 cup/ 250 ml milk of choice (unsweetened if using nut milk)
1/8 tsp Ground nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine
7 whole plum tomatoes in carton (about 1 1/2 cup), cut up
PREPARATION
1.In a heavy saucepan, add extra virgin olive oil and onions. Heat on medium. Cook and stir the onions until translucent about 5 minutes, then add celery and carrots. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ground turkey (or lean ground beef, or mushrooms, whichever you prefer).
2.Add a large pinch kosher salt and ground black pepper & Fennel seeds. Using a wooden spoon, break up the meat. Stir well until meat is no longer raw and it loses its red color.
3.Add milk and let it come to a gentle simmer. Stir frequently until milk has completely bubbled away. Stir in nutmeg.
4.Add wine and let it simmer until it has completely evaporated, then stir in the plum tomatoes.Once tomatoes come to a gentle bubble, turn heat down to a very low simmer. Cook sauce, uncovered, for 3 hours or so.
IMPORTANT: occasionally check if you need to add a little liquid to the sauce. If it looks dry or starts to stick, you can add about 1/2 cup of liquid (water or some of tomato water from your plum tomato can.) At the end, there should be no water remaining.Taste the bolognese sauce and correct for salt.Toss with your favorite cooked and drained pasta with a side of Parmigiano Reggiano .
WEEKNIGHT SHORT CUT: If you are really in a pinch, you can try this shortcut to bolognese using store-bought tomato sauce. I adapted this from Giada De Laurentiis. It’s tasty and works well, but don’t expect the same results as far as authentic flavor and texture, of course. Follow step #1 as written. In step #2, once you add the meat, cook for about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce. Bring heat to medium-low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly to allow flavors to meld. Toss with your favorite pasta or atop polenta!
These are my favorite chopped plum tomatoes to use. please do your best to avoid canned tomatoes, as they are not always bpa and toxin free.
