Description
This hearty Rotini Bolognese is a classic Italian-inspired pasta dish featuring a flavorful ground turkey or beef meat sauce simmered in a rich tomato base with fresh vegetables and herbs, served over perfectly cooked rotini pasta. It’s an easy, satisfying meal that comes together in about 45 minutes, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb lean ground turkey or ground beef
- 1/2 medium white onion, minced
- 1 large carrot, minced
- 1 stalk celery, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes (whole, peeled)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (or red wine as alternative)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Pasta
- 16 oz box rotini pasta (or another type of pasta)
- Salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Mince the carrot, onion, and celery into small pieces. You can use a food processor for quicker prep if desired.
- Cook the Meat: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the ground turkey or beef, breaking it into small pieces with a spatula. Cook for 5-7 minutes until fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain any excess liquid from the pan.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pan. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables soften.
- Make Tomato Sauce: Combine San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, and kosher salt in a blender, blending on high until smooth. Pour the blended sauce into the pan with the vegetables and meat. Add chicken broth, stir well, reduce heat to low, and let the sauce simmer for 25-40 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Cook Pasta: While the sauce simmers and nears completion, cook the rotini pasta according to package instructions in generously salted boiling water. Drain once al dente.
- Finish Sauce and Serve: Remove the sauce from heat and stir in oregano and chopped fresh basil. Serve the sauce over the cooked rotini pasta.
Notes
- You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey for a leaner option.
- Using red wine instead of chicken broth adds deeper flavor to the sauce.
- Simmer the sauce longer for richer and more concentrated flavors.
- Reserve some pasta water to adjust sauce consistency if needed when combining pasta and sauce.
- Fresh basil gives a more vibrant taste than dried, but dried works as a convenient alternative.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
