Ground Turkey Spaghetti Recipe | The Gracious Pantry (2024)

FAQs

How to add flavor to ground turkey? ›

There are plenty of easy ground turkey recipes out there. But, you will always need spices like olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. You can add minced garlic, and freshly chopped onions and peppers, for an extra edge.

IF YOU COOK spaghetti in a big pot of water, drain it, then toss it with sauce, you are pouring a lot of flavor down the drain, says Vendemmia chef Brian Clevenger. “The trick to good pasta is cooking it in the sauce,” he says. It was while working at Delfina in San Francisco that he really started to understand why.

Step 3: Boiling the Ground Turkey

Once the liquid is boiling, carefully add the prepared ground turkey to the pot. Stir gently to make sure all the meat is submerged. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the ground turkey simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Mushrooms! Ground mushrooms to be exact. Trust me, with this juicy recipe, you will fall head over heels in love with ground turkey. Mushrooms add moisture, mouthfeel, and umami (beefy) flavor to the otherwise dry ground turkey.

You can add more or less of any of the ground turkey seasonings. You might also want to try other spices that you enjoy. I have added Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, hot sauce, and Italian seasoning depending on what I'm using my ground meat for.

With ground turkey, you need fresh aromatics to season it. Chopped yellow onions, scallions, cilantro, and red bell pepper all help add flavor.

Briny ingredients like olives or capers are another way to brighten up your pasta sauce while also introducing texture and depth of flavor. Roughly chop a handful and stir them into your sauce while it's heating up on the stove.

Red pepper flakes, dehydrated or fresh garlic, dried oregano, parsley, or basil, or an Italian seasoning blend are all good options. Dried herbs and spices should be added at the beginning of the cook time so that they have time to bloom.

Before you start cooking, be sure to season the ground turkey well with salt and pepper. Also consider including dried herbs and spices for additional flavor. If you're cooking meatballs or meatloaf, pinch off some of the seasoned mixture and cook it in a skillet to taste. Adjust seasoning accordingly.

But as any poultry starts to go bad, it will start to turn an unpleasant shade of gray. If that pink hue starts to look slightly dull then it's time to use up your ground turkey immediately, and if it has a gray tint (even just a slight one), then it's time to toss it.

Do you wash ground turkey before cooking? ›

While washing meat and poultry to remove dirt, slime, fat or blood may have been appropriate decades ago when many slaughtered and prepared their own food, the modern food safety system doesn't require it. Meat and poultry are cleaned during processing, so further washing is not necessary.

Look & Color. Raw turkey meat should be light pink or beige, depending on the type of meat and its fat content. The meat color becomes dull as time passes, which is normal. However, if the meat has a brown, gray or yellow or green hue, you will want to part ways with it.

Ground turkey isn't as flavorful as ground beef, but if you want it to feel a little bit more like ground beef, try adding some Worcestershire sauce.

Process the Ground Meat for Juicier Texture

Instead of blending the mix with our hands, we reground the meat with seasonings in a food processor. Grinding meat develops myosin, a sticky meat protein that traps water and fat, keeping it juicy.

Before you start cooking, be sure to season the ground turkey well with salt and pepper. Also consider including dried herbs and spices for additional flavor. If you're cooking meatballs or meatloaf, pinch off some of the seasoned mixture and cook it in a skillet to taste.

Give Ground Turkey a Savory Boost

To amp up the meat's flavor—but keep it versatile for a range of applications—we added chopped shallot and Worcestershire sauce. Both enhanced the meaty taste of the turkey, while Worcestershire sauce's pungent tang added balance. Salt and pepper seasoned the meat through and through.

When it comes to seasoning, salt and pepper are the right place to start. But you can expand upon these basics by using fall herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage, which are natural accompaniments for turkey. You can branch out further with your favorite seasoning blends.