The Quickest Way to Simmer A Rich and Comforting Italian Bolognese
Long-time Plays Well With Butter readers know pasta bolognese is my signature dish, which I learned to make while working at a fine-dining Northern Italian restaurant.
Since then, I’ve spent years perfecting my low and slow Best-Ever Bolognese and sharing riffs like my ultra-hearty Gnocchi Bolognese and easy Weeknight Bolognese.
But this ground turkey bolognese is actually one of the first recipes I ever shared, way back in 2016! Unlike more traditional beef and pork bolognese, this version uses a leaner, quicker-cooking protein for when you’re craving cozy comfort food, stat.
I lovingly refer to this ground turkey bolognese recipe as a “fauxlognese,” but don’t let that fool you! This recipe still delivers tons of flavor using a few tricks, like choosing at least 93% lean ground turkey, deeply browning the aromatic veggies, and loading up on herbs.
It all simmers with San Marzano tomatoes and a splash of wine for a restaurant-worthy turkey bolognese that simmers for only 15-20 minutes (not hours and hours! 🙌🏼).
The result is a similar richness of classic beef and pork pasta bolognese in way less time. It gets even better when you toss the turkey bolognese with your favorite pasta (or layer it in an Eggplant Lasagna).
Decadent and hearty, yet quick and easy—this turkey bolognese is perfect for busy nights when comfort food cravings strike!

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The secret to making bolognese with ground turkey is using 93% lean meat for ultimate richness. If you can find 85% lean, that’s even better! Using less lean poultry helps the meat mimic heartier ground beef and pork traditionally used for making Italian bolognese.
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DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Buy Now → How to Make Turkey Bolognese Sauce
Even with a quicker cooking time, this turkey bolognese recipe still requires patience. Every step builds layer upon layer of flavor and can’t be rushed. It still comes together faster than a classic bolognese made with beef and pork, and the results are seriously restaurant-worthy!

Deeply brown the carrots, celery, and onion for a solid 15-20 minutes. Do not rush it! Why? ⇢ This step builds the foundation of flavor in the sauce! The payoff in flavor is worth it, especially for a leaner turkey bolognese.

Push the veggies to the side and add the ground turkey so it comes in contact with the bottom of the hot pot. Season with salt and brown for a few minutes per side, then break into bite-sized pieces.

Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant. Then deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up all the flavorful browned bits on the bottom. Add the San Marzano tomatoes, fresh rosemary and thyme, bay leaves, chicken stock, and an umami-rich parmesan rind to finish building the sauce.

Bring the pot to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Finish by stirring in a little heavy cream or half and half and grated parmesan for extra cozy richness.
Make-Ahead Turkey Bolognese
One of my favorite things about turkey bolognese sauce is its flavors only get better with time, making this recipe great to prep in advance! Simply make the ground turkey bolognese and let it cool completely before storing it in the fridge. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for a full make-ahead instructions!
Toss the Turkey Bolognese with Your Favorite Pasta
Once the turkey bolognese is simmered to perfection, it’s time for the best part—serving it with some cozy pasta!
The #1 mistake I see people make when serving bolognese is simply tossing the sauce on a bed of al dente pasta—please don’t do this! The key to a restaurant-worthy pasta bolognese is allowing the pasta to cook with the sauce for a couple of minutes. This allows the two separate components to come together as one cohesive dish. Learn More ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time.
Bucatini is my favorite pasta to serve with turkey bolognese. It’s a long, tubular spaghetti with a hearty, bouncy texture that stands up well to the richness of the turkey bolognese sauce. Spaghetti or flatter noodles like pappardelle and tagliatelle would be great, too!



Serving Suggestions
The only thing that makes turkey pasta bolognese even better is pairing it with other Italian classics! I love it with a side of Garlic Lovers’ Garlic Bread and a Classic Caesar Salad for the coziest at-home dinner. If I’m hosting friends, these gorgeous Tiramisu Cups are the best way to end the meal.

I can’t wait for you to try this Turkey Bolognese recipe! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
PrintBest-Ever Turkey Bolognese
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Pasta Recipes, Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Learn how to make a totally restaurant-worthy Turkey Bolognese at home! This recipe is a twist on hearty Italian bolognese sauce, made by simmering ground turkey (vs. beef and pork) with aromatic vegetables, wine, and Italian tomatoes.
Making bolognese with ground turkey results in a hearty and decadent sauce in only 60 minutes (no hours of simmering required!) Toss the turkey bolognese sauce with al dente bucatini—or any other pasta you love!—for the ultimate homemade dinner.
An extra-fast and easy take on my signature, all-time favorite cozy dish learned from years in an Italian restaurant.
Ingredients
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- one 28-ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes (see Recipe Notes), roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup dry, unoaked white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 8–10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- optional: 1 parmesan rind
- ½ cup chicken stock or water
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano
- 16 ounces bucatini or pasta of choice
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: grated parmesan or pecorino romano, finely chopped fresh basil or parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, etc.
Instructions
- Turkey bolognese prep: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prep the veggies, dicing the carrot, celery, and onion, and finely chopping the garlic. To roughly chop the San Marzano tomatoes, transfer them and their juices to a food processor and pulse until they’re as smooth or chunky as you like; you can also crush the tomatoes by hand if you prefer. Gather and measure remaining ingredients according to Ingredients List, above, placing them within an arm’s reach of the stovetop for a smooth cooking process.
- Brown the soffritto: Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven (or large, heavy-bottomed pot with lid) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the carrots, celery, and onion. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and fragrant, 15-20 minutes. If the veggies begin to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. Once browned, push the soffritto mixture to the outer edges of the pot.
- Brown the turkey: Add the ground turkey to the center of the pot, such that it’s surrounded by the soffritto mixture, and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Reduce heat to medium. Let the turkey brown 2-3 minutes without touching it, then turn it over and brown the second side 2-3 minutes before using a wooden spoon to break it apart into bite-sized pieces. Stir to combine with the soffritto mixture.
- Build the turkey bolognese sauce: Add the garlic and tomato paste to the Dutch oven, stirring to coat the ground turkey soffritto mixture. Cook 2-3 minutes, until browned and fragrant, then build the bolognese sauce. Deglaze the pan by slowly pouring in the white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Once the wine is almost completely cooked off, add in the chopped San Marzano tomatoes and their juices, fresh rosemary and thyme, bay leaves, parmesan rind (if using), and chicken stock or water. Stir to combine. Bring the bolognese to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot (place the lid on the pot such that it’s just partially covered, allowing some steam to escape as the sauce simmers) and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until thickened.
- Cook the pasta: Meanwhile, as the turkey bolognese sauce simmers, cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling salted water from Step 1. Cook to al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once cooked, carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta. (Learn more! ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)
- Finish the turkey pasta bolognese: Remove the lid from the pot with the bolognese sauce, increasing heat to medium-high to maintain a steady simmer. Stir the half and half and grated parmesan into the bolognese. Cook 1-2 minutes, allowing everything to meld together. Add the pasta straight into the pot, tossing to coat it in the turkey bolognese. From here, adjust as needed so the turkey bolognese sauce evenly coats the pasta—if the mixture is too thick, toss in a little of the reserved pasta water; if the mixture is too loose, toss in an extra handful of parmesan cheese, etc. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to meld with and absorb some of the sauce.
- Serve immediately, topped with additional grated parmesan, chopped basil or parsley, and/or a sprinkling of crushed red pepper, as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing:
- Pasta Bolognese Storage and Reheating: Leftover pasta bolognese will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, adding a splash of stock or water as needed to loosen up the turkey bolognese sauce to your desired texture.
- Make-Ahead Turkey Bolognese Sauce Storage and Reheating: This turkey bolognese sauce is the perfect make-ahead recipe because it stores so well—it’s one of those things that gets even better as it sits and its flavors meld together! To store, prepare according to Steps 2-4 of Recipe Directions, above. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat bolognese sauce on the stovetop. Once simmering, finish according to Steps 5-7 of Recipe Directions, above.
- Turkey Bolognese Sauce Freezer Instructions: This turkey bolognese sauce is also incredibly freezer-friendly. To freeze, prepare according to Steps 2-4 of Recipe Directions, above. Once cooled, transfer to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions—Souper Cubes are my absolute favorite freezer containers! Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen turkey bolognese sauce in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop. Once simmering, finish according to Steps 5-7 of Recipe Directions, above.
- Alternate Cooking Methods:
- Slow Cooker Turkey Bolognese: Prep the bolognese sauce according to Steps 2-3, then add garlic and tomato paste, and deglaze according to Step 4 of Recipe Directions, above. Transfer the turkey bolognese meat and soffritto mixture to the slow cooker, along with the fresh aromatics, tomatoes, and broth as directed in Step 4. Slow cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. At dinnertime, cook the pasta and finish the pasta bolognese as directed in Steps 6-7; you can do this right in your slow cooker. If your Crockpot or slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to cook the entire turkey bolognese sauce recipe (Steps 2-4, 6) in the slow cooker.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this turkey bolognese recipe comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance—it takes 10 minutes, tops!—and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
- Dice 2 medium carrots, 1 stalk of celery, and 1 medium yellow onion. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active)
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This was great! Mine needed a little more salt but that is a preference. I’m adding this to my rotation.
We definitely recommend seasoning to your own taste! So glad you enjoyed the bolognese, Peyton! 🙂
The recipe itself is spot-on. Perfect measurements with no need for substitutions. The website, however, doesn’t stay on the recipe. So, I had to keep “jumping to recipe”. Then the videos randomly play. Other than the annoying website function, I love the bolognese sauce! Served with Carbe Diem Penne!
So sorry the website experience was frustrating for you, Kat! Thanks for letting us know. So glad you loved the bolognese as much as we do, though!
It’s a regular on our weekly meal planner as it has the rare distinction of being a dish that everyone in the household loves!
So thrilled to hear that, Louise! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
What can I replace the white wine with? Thanks
Hi Nora, we really love the depth of flavor white wine adds to this recipe, but you can replace it with chicken broth or vegetable stock if you prefer!
Amazing flavor! I used almond milk & a TBSP of butter as I didn’t have half & half on hand. So, so good! Adding this to my rotation immediately.
So happy to hear you loved it, Anne!
This recipe is fantastic. Made for a dinner party and everyone loved it.
So happy to hear that, Linda! Thanks for the review!
Delicious recipe! Made it tonight and it was a hit.
So glad you enjoyed it, Jeanette!
I have made this many times now and as someone who doesn’t eat beef this is one of my favorite recipes! It’s delicious and so are the leftovers. I like my sauce on the thicker side, and have had success with adding a bit less of the chicken stock/water. Thank you for sharing this!
Hi Sarah, we’re so happy to hear this is one of your favorites – it’s a go-to for us, too! 🙂
The most delicious thing I’ve made with ground turkey! Thanks for this recipe. Will be making it on repeat.
It’s one of our favorites too, Andrea!! So glad you enjoyed!
This is the best turkey bolognese I’ve ever made! It is flavorful, delicious and easy. I made mine with rigatoni and it was amazing
So happy to hear you loved the bolognese, Sandy!! Thanks for the review! 🙂
I just want to say it took me only five minutes longer than you said! Usually recipes take me twice as long as they list so thanks for that! I liked your instructions and reasoning too. Giving it five stars but I think I just don’t like turkey bolognese that much hahah (not you it’s me)
Sorry to hear you aren’t a big turkey bolognese fan, Kim!! If you like more traditional Bolognese, definitely give our Best-Ever Bolognese a try! Thanks for the review! 🙂
Great recipe, a slightly different method of preparing Turkey Bolognese. I skipped the cream by accident but we didn’t miss it at all.
Hi Carren, happy to hear you enjoyed the Bolognese!! Thanks for the review!
Hi Jess! This is a decent recipe. My family ate it! Overall I found the sauce to be tomato-forward, and though I do love marinara, this sauce closely resembled one and that’s not the flavor I expected. I prefer more of the rich caramelized sweetness of the soffrito and meat, and just a touch of tomato for balance. After dinner, since I had made a double batch and tons of leftovers, I modified the remainder of the recipe by adding a lot more dairy, and plan to add another batch of soffrito and meat, hoping this will cut the intensity of the tomatoes. Also, this recipe took me 120 minutes for a double batch including all the preparation.
Hi Radish, sorry to hear you didn’t love the flavor of this sauce! For a richer bolognese, we’d point you to our Best-Ever Bolognese, which uses pancetta, beef & pork to build a super flavorful sauce. And of course you’re always welcome to adjust our recipes to your own tastes, as well. 🙂
Made this tonight, it is excellent! Have never used cream in bolognese before and wow, what a difference it makes. Thanks for such a detailed recipe and step by step instructions, very helpful!
Hi Sheila, we’re so happy to hear you loved the bolognese! We totally agree, the cream is such a game-changer! 🙂
The best part of this recipe is the mystery of what to do with the rest of the bottle of Pinot Grigio. Seriously, I used the ingredients (Proportions? Blame the rest of the bottle…) and played in the kitchen. (Thank you, PinotG!) The key was a slow, lo, and attended simmer for about 2 hrs while I chatted with old friends. (Bless them!) Let the flavors really think about it! I’m enjoying the full, rich, thick flavor of this sauce over a bed of stale bread crusts. (Don’t judge. It’s artisan bread.) truly delish!!! #staleartisan #trulydelish #dontjudgeme #blamepinotgrigio #turkeybolognese
We would NEVER judge, dipping bread in bolognese sounds like a brilliant idea! So glad to hear you loved the sauce & enjoyed your time making it! 🙂
really solid recipe. nice blend of flavors and textures. and surprisingly easy to assemble. loved it. a full pound of pasta might be too much for density of the sauce. a good bolognese should be rich and heavy with the protein. might dial this back to 3/4 lb next time.
Hi JB, thanks for the kind review!! 🙂
I made this tonight and it is incredibly easy and flavorful. I only had ground turkey breast so I added butter to give it more fat. Everything else was followed exactly as written. This is going to be my go to bolognese. Thank you for an incredible recipe!
Hi Sandy, so glad to hear you loved the bolognese!! It’s one of our go-tos, as well 🙂 Thank you for your review!
Yum! I think I’ll try this today!!
Thank you!! Keep us posted on how it goes 🙂