Try this Ground Turkey Spaghetti recipe with the added authentic Italian sausage flavor for a quick, easy weeknight family dinner.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time40 minutesmins
Servings: 8servings
Calories: 172kcal
Ingredients
16ouncesspaghetti
1poundground turkey
1/2poundItalian sausage
1large onionchopped
2cantomato sauce(15 ounce)
1 canfire roasted diced tomatoes(14.5 ounce)
1canItalian-style diced tomatoes(14.5 ounce)
1cantomato paste(6 ounce)
Spaghetti Sauce Seasoning
1teaspoondried Italian herb seasoning
2teaspoonsgarlic powder
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoondried oregano
¼teaspoondried thyme leaves
¼teaspoondried basil
1tablespoonwhite sugar
Instructions
Boil the spaghetti noodles to al dente per the package instructions. Once done drain the water.
While the spaghetti cooks, heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, Italian sausage and onion and cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Once done, drain any excess fat or liquid.
Add all of the remaining ingredients except the sugar to the pot and mix to combine then bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and allow the sauce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Last, stir in the sugar, then toss with the pasta and serve immediately. Alternately, serve the spaghetti onto each plate and top with sauce.
Notes
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.