Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Ground Turkey Spaghetti
Spaghetti with a generous meat sauce is a satisfying thing to sit down to. Turkey and Italian sausage give this one a savory flavor, with several kinds of tomato making a rich coating for the noodles.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 15 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Turkey
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Drain the browned meat
Cook turkey, sausage and onion until browned, then drain excess fat or liquid before adding the tomato ingredients.
2. Hold back the sugar
Add the other sauce ingredients first and simmer before stirring in the sugar near the end.
3. Keep pasta al dente
Cook the spaghetti to al dente according to its package, then drain before combining with sauce or plating.
Get to know the ingredients
Italian sausage
You can use ground sausage or meat removed from links. Try spicy sausage if you'd like more bite.
Mixed tomatoes
Tomato sauce, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, Italian-style diced tomatoes and tomato paste all contribute to the meat sauce.
Onion choice
You can use yellow or white onion, chopped for browning with the turkey and Italian sausage.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Ground Turkey Spaghetti
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Toss or spoon over
Stir in the sugar after simmering, then toss with pasta or spoon the sauce over plated spaghetti.
A little more help as you go
Fresh garlic alternative
You can replace the garlic powder with 2 tablespoons of fresh grated or minced garlic.
Fresh herb conversion
When replacing dried herbs with fresh, use a three-to-one fresh-to-dried amount conversion.
A few questions you might have
Does the sausage cook separately from the turkey?
No, brown the turkey, Italian sausage and chopped onion together before draining excess fat or liquid.
When does the sugar go into the sauce?
Stir it in after the sauce has simmered, just before tossing with pasta or serving over the noodles.
Can I use sausage links?
Yes, you can use links with the meat removed from their casings as an alternative to ground Italian sausage.
Can I serve sauce over individual plates?
Yes, the final step allows either tossing the sauce with pasta or spooning it over plated spaghetti.
Does the sauce simmer on high heat?
Bring the combined sauce ingredients to a boil first, then reduce to low for the stated simmer.
Any more cooking tips?
Substitutions: Ground Turkey – You can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken if you want to lighten it up a bit. Italian sausage – You can use ground Italian sausage or links and bust out the meat from the casing. For a little extra bite, use spicy sausage. If you prefer to only use turkey you can but the flavor of the spaghetti sauce will change a little. Onion – Yellow or white onions will both work. Dried herbs – If you want to swap out any of the dry herbs for fresh herbs, multiply the amount of dry by 3. So ¼ teaspoon dried thyme would amount to ¾ teaspoon fresh chopped thyme. Garlic powder – You could substitute 2 tablespoons fresh grated or minced garlic instead, but garlic powder is the quickest and easiest option. How to Store: To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store: in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in the freezer up to a month How to Freeze: Making this easy weeknight spaghetti with meat sauce recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below, and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the sauce to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container: gallon ziptop bags, mason jars, or containers with lids. Then, spoon the sauce into the container. If freezing in a zip-top bag, place the bag flat on a baking sheet and in the freezer. Once frozen, you can stack them more easily. Be sure to label the sauce with a name and date. How to Reheat: In the microwave on 30 second increments, stir and continue until heated through. How to Scale: This recipe can be halved, but if you double it you would need another crockpot.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: easyfamilyrecipes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
