Turkey Sauce for Pasta

By Florence Fabricant

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(43)
Comments
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Featured in: FOOD; Turkey Takes On The Guise of Year-Round Fare

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3cloves garlic, minced
  • 1pound ground turkey
  • 1teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 128-ounce can plum tomatoes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
  • 2tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

343 calories; 23 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 834 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the onion and saute until soft and barely beginning to brown. Add the garlic and stir.

  2. Step 2

    Add the turkey and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the meat is uniformly broken up and loses its color. Stir in the oregano and fennel.

  3. Step 3

    Drain the tomatoes, reserving the juice. Break them up and add to the turkey. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring from time to time, for about 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes.

  4. Step 4

    Before serving, reheat the sauce, adding a little of the reserved juice if the sauce is too thick. Sprinkle with parsley.

Ratings

4 out of 5
43 user ratings
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Comments

Nancy

Followed the directions, except that I poured out all the liquid after cooking the ground turkey, because there was a lot. Ended up adding all of the drained tomato juice because I wanted more sauce and then cooked it down some. High ratio of meat to sauce. Tasted good, especially with the chilli flakes. Makes about 4 cups of sauce.

Jeanne Hows it goin?

Love the Turkey/fennel flavors for pasta night variety and I served this sauce over Parmesan polenta to embrace the change. I used can of crushed tomatoes and loved the sauce texture that came out of that switch. I also toasted the fennel seeds and used a Tablespoon of both fennel and oregano that provided satisfying depth of flavor. Such a great dinner after a chilly winter day!

Sanderee PNW

I had a half a pound of turkey to use, and this recipe worked beautifully for that purpose. Made a half a recipe as written, except for adding a tablespoon of tomato paste, which I browned before adding the turkey. I ended up using diced tomatoes as they come in the approximately 14 ounce cans. Thank you!

MLR

It is important to pound the fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle just enough to break the shell. This releases the sweetness of the fennel seed. I also ended up adding all of the juice from the box of tomatoes and it wasn't too watery. Not sure if a box has less water than the can

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