Description
A simple, delicious 6-ingredient ground turkey spaghetti recipe perfect for a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner. This versatile dish offers three cooking methods—stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot—allowing you to choose the best option for your schedule and kitchen setup.
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 ½ pounds 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon no-salt added Italian seasoning
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
For the Pasta
- 1 pound spaghetti
Instructions
- Prepare the aromatics: Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and diced onion, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Cook the ground turkey: Add the ground turkey to the pot. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, granulated garlic, and Italian seasoning. Stir to break apart the meat and cook until browned and no longer pink, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Simmer the sauce (Stovetop method): Pour in the marinara sauce and stir to combine. Cover the pot, bring the sauce to a rapid simmer, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook spaghetti: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as per package instructions until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
- Combine and serve: Toss the drained spaghetti with the turkey marinara sauce and serve immediately.
- Slow cooker method - Sauté aromatics and meat: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and diced onion with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the ground turkey, seasonings, and cook until browned, 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer and cook in slow cooker: Transfer turkey and onion mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in marinara sauce. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours until turkey is very tender.
- Cook spaghetti and serve: Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain, then toss with sauce from slow cooker before serving.
- Instant Pot method - Sauté aromatics and meat: Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to sauté and allow to preheat. Add olive oil and diced onion with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ground turkey, seasonings, and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add marinara and pressure cook: Pour marinara sauce over the turkey mixture without stirring. Seal the Instant Pot lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Use quick release or natural release per preference.
- Cook spaghetti and serve: While the Instant Pot cooks, boil salted water and prepare spaghetti per package instructions. Drain and mix with the pressure-cooked turkey marinara sauce, then serve.
Notes
- Use lean ground turkey (93%) for a balance of flavor and fat content.
- Adjust seasoning according to taste; add more Italian seasoning or garlic for extra flavor.
- For gluten-free option, substitute spaghetti with gluten-free pasta.
- Reserve some pasta water if you want to thin the sauce after combining with spaghetti.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
