Life’s not always fair — not everyone grows up with an Italian grandmother who cooks all day on Sundays. But you can get close with this recipe.
When I was a kid, many of my friends enjoyed Sunday dinners full of lasagna, baked ziti, and ragù cooked by their Italian nonnas. I envied them. I never met my dad’s mother, and my other grandmother lived far away and wasn’t much of a cook — once she fed me a raw hot dog when my parents were out of town. So most of my Italian home cooking has been do-it-yourself.
Before Owen was born I used to make slow-simmered meatballs and occasional risotto for special occasions. Now, with a three-year-old, those long projects aren’t realistic. That’s why I love this healthy slow cooker turkey bolognese. It requires about 15 minutes of prep and delivers a rich, meaty sauce that tastes like it simmered all weekend.
The first time we had this sauce it was delicious, but the best part was that Owen ate it enthusiastically — any recipe my whole family will eat is a win. Leftovers a few days later were even better: the flavors meld and deepen after sitting in the fridge.
This bolognese is perfect to start on a Sunday morning and let cook all day. It’s great for dinner and the leftovers can feed you again later in the week. Though listed as serving four, it often provides two full dinners for a family of two adults and two children.
Serve it over zucchini noodles, pasta, or polenta. Over zoodles you can enjoy a generous bowl for under 400 calories — a lighter option than many traditional recipes.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic; sauté until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a slow cooker.
- Return the skillet to the stove (no need to clean it). Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it’s no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Scrape the turkey into the slow cooker.
- Pour the tomatoes and juices into a bowl and, using clean hands, break the tomatoes into large chunks. Add the tomatoes and juices to the slow cooker along with the red wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 4 hours. Remove the lid and cook 1–2 hours more until the sauce thickens. Stir in the heavy cream before serving.
