Description
A nutritious and hearty Veggie-Loaded Ground Turkey and Spaghetti recipe featuring tender turkey, fresh vegetables, and flavorful tomato sauce, perfect for a balanced family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 4 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
Vegetables and Protein
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium zucchini, grated (about 1½ cups loose packed)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated (about 1½ cups)
- 1 pound ground turkey (93% lean)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups finely chopped spinach or ¾ cup thawed frozen spinach
- fresh basil, finely chopped + optional garnish
Seasonings and Sauces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1½ cups pasta sauce
- 14.5 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, grated zucchini, and grated carrot. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Cook Ground Turkey: Add the ground turkey to the pot with the vegetables. Season with remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon and cook for about 7 minutes until turkey is fully cooked.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Tomatoes and Spinach: Pour in the diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, chopped spinach, and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Stir to combine.
- Simmer Sauce: Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes until the spinach has wilted. For a thinner sauce, add the remaining ½ cup pasta water and simmer for a few more minutes.
- Combine with Pasta: Stir the cooked and drained spaghetti into the turkey and vegetable sauce until evenly distributed.
- Serve: Portion onto plates and garnish with fresh basil if desired.
- Store Leftovers: Allow leftovers to cool before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or defrost in the microwave before reheating and serving.
Notes
- Use freshly grated vegetables without squeezing out moisture to keep the sauce flavorful and moist.
- Ground turkey can be substituted with ground chicken or lean ground beef if preferred.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute spaghetti with gluten-free pasta.
- Adding extra pasta water can help adjust sauce consistency to your liking.
- Leftover sauce can be frozen separately from pasta for better texture upon reheating.
