The easiest healthy lunch or dinner you’ll make!
This 3-Ingredient Turkey Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles is the perfect meal for when you are on the go or don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. This recipe is so fresh, yet so flavorful! Add 3-Ingredient Turkey Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles to your dinner rotation and I promise you won’t be disappointed!
3-Ingredient Turkey Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
- 2-4 zucchini (depending on size)
- 1 lb ground turkey breast
- 1 jar (24oz) marinara or pasta sauce I used Rao's Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce
- optional mix ins/toppings: green pepper, onions, mushrooms, garlic, parmesan cheese, etc
Instructions
- Prepare zucchini with spiralizer into “zucchini noodles” onto kitchen towel.
- Sprinkle salt onto “noodles”. This helps bring excess water out of the zucchini. Cover with kitchen towel and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium heat. Lightly spray with olive oil. Add ground turkey. Break up turkey using a spatula. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you are adding additional chopped veggies (mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, garlic, etc.) add at this time. Cook turkey until no longer pink, approximately 5-7 minutes. Stir and break up turkey every few minutes.
- Add jar of marinara sauce to ground turkey. Stir. Turn to medium-low and let simmer.
- Heat a separate skillet to medium heat. Lightly spray with olive oil, add the zucchini noodles and heat for 3-5 minutes, or until just warmed through. Remove and serve with meat sauce.
- Top with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
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First things first…mastering zucchini noodles!
Nowadays, zucchini noodles are easy to find at the store in the produce or freezer section. But as easy as they are to make, I think they are so much better when freshly cut. They may seem intimidating, but with the right tools (spoiler alert: a spiralizer isn’t always necessary!), it’s so simple! Plus, making your own zucchini noodles is less expensive than buying them pre-spiralized, and it’s fun to transform a vegetable into something unique. So grab a bunch of zucchini, and let’s get started!
Making Zucchini Noodles using a Spiralizer
I’ve worked with three types of spiralizers — handheld spiralizers, countertop spiralizers, and the Ninja Spiralizer.If I am being honest, I actually prefer the handheld spiralizer the best (and it’s the least expensive!). Personally for me, I am only cooking for 1-2 people so it is a lot to get out a ton of equipment and wash it all. But with the handheld spiralizers, they are small and dishwasher safe so they can be easily stored and cleaned.
The Ninja Spiralizer is amazing if you are needing to make a lot of zucchini noodles. It is so quick and simple to do! It just requires a little more cleaning. It is pricier, but is such great quality and allows you to spiralize other foods, such as a sweet potatoes. It cuts through tough vegetables much easier than a handheld or countertop one.
Making zucchini noodles without a spiralizer
I love this option because you don’t need a fancy gadget. You can either use a vegetable peeler or a slice set. By peeling or slicing, you will end up with yummy “angle hair”, “fettuccine”, or “pappardelle” sized noodles depending on the peeler or slice attachment!
Tips on Cooking the Perfect Zucchini Noodles
- Use a kitchen towel. I highly recommend laying your raw zucchini noodles out on a kitchen towel in a single layer. Sprinkle lightly with salt, gently mix with hands, and cover with kitchen towel. The salt helps extract some of the water in the zucchini. I don’t recommend ringing out the towel to get all of the excess water out because I find this makes the end product mushy. Gently pat zucchini noodles with kitchen towel prior to cooking.
- When cooking zucchini noodles, do it for a very short time. I have experimented with many ways to cook zucchini noodles and find that the best method is a very quick pan saute. When making zucchini noodle recipes that also include sautéed veggies, I add the zucchini to the pan right at the end of the cooking time. I gently toss them with the other veggies and/or sauce for about a 2-3 minutes over medium heat, just until they’re warmed through. Don’t cook them any longer, or they’ll get soft and watery.
I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU TRY IT!
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