Minced Turkey Pasta

 

 

I discovered turkey mince a couple of years ago thanks to an alternative shepherds pie recipe that Nigel Slater cooked on an episode of Simple Suppers. I'd seen it on butchers shelves but didn't know how to use it and hadn't realised that it's a great substitue for non red meat eaters, like me, for all those traditional recipes that use minced beef or lamb.

This is how I make, what is basically a turkey version of a Bolognese sauce, but without the bacon.

 Ingredients for four people:

• 500g/1 lb of minced/ground turkey
• One red onion, sliced finely
• A couple of cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• One large portobello mushroom, sliced finely
• Two sticks of celery,sliced finely
• One carrot, grated
• A can of chopped tomatoes
• Tomato puree
• A little chicken or vegetable stock or hot water
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Parmessan cheese

Method:

1. Pour a little olive oil into a heavy saucepan, heat up and add saute the onion until cooked.
2. Add the garlic and cook, being careful not to burn it.
3. Add the remaining vegetables and stir well to combine flavours, allow to sweat for a few minutes.
4. Add the meat, ensuring that it browns. You may need to pus the vegetables to one side of the pan to do this.
5.  Gve everything a good stir.
6. Season, then add a little to puree and the chopped tomatoes plus a little hot water or stock
7. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced.
8. Serve with prepared pasta of choice, topped with grated parmessan and salad leaves.

This is a great serve-in-a-bowl with leaves and garlic bread comfort food supper. You could also make a vegetarian alternative using green lentils instead of the minced turkey and omitting the parmessan.