Yes, I know, cooking spaghetti or another pasta separately from the sauce requires only one more pot, but that's one more pot that I don't want to wash when I'm tired. Plus, I like the spaghetti to soak up some of the sauce as it cooks. The noodles have more flavor. Really, though, this is the main dish to make when you're just tired of cooking but people want something more for dinner than cheese toast. I use ground turkey in the sauce, but feel free to substitute ground beef or just make the sauce meatless. The sauce isn't complicated at all, and, after it simmers a bit, you add the spaghetti to the same pot. Everything works. You get a nice spaghetti meal in about 30 minutes with minimum cleanup. Plus, the leftovers are great for lunches.
One-Pot Turkey Spaghetti -- Serves 4+
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup of shredded carrot
16 ounces of lean ground turkey (93 percent)
2 teaspoons of salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs/seasoning
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/4 cup of red wine
1 teaspoon of sugar
28-ounces of water (use the can from the crushed tomatoes to measure)
8 ounces of spaghetti
1/4 - 1/3 grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil (optional)
In a large chef's pan or deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and saute them together for about five minutes or until they begin to soften. Crumble in the ground turkey and sprinkle on a teaspoon of salt. Saute the turkey and vegetables together for 8-10 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through. Add the pepper, garlic powder, and herbs and stir them into the turkey mixture for a minute or two. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, remaining salt, and sugar and stir them into the meat mixture. Stir in the the water. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the spaghetti. I break the pasta strands in half, because it's easier to stir them in that way. Reduce the heat a little so that the mixture bubbles gently and doesn't boil over. Cook the spaghetti in the sauce for 10-15 minutes or until the spaghetti is done and most of the sauce has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Taste the sauce and add a little more salt if you think it's necessary. Stir the spaghetti mixture and let it sit for five minutes or so. The pasta will continue to absorb the sauce. Stir the spaghetti mixture again before serving it and sprinkle on some fresh basil, if you like.
