Rustic Turkey-Vegetable Marinara
Say goodbye to the “what’s for dinner” blahs when you serve your family this colorful veggie- packed dish! Consider enjoying this simple meal for Sunday supper, then use the yummy leftovers for time-crunched week nights. And because this dish “makes a bunch,” think about freezing the extras when you need to get a hearty dinner on the table-FAST. This meal in-a-pot will also look elegant on your company table and will travel easily to family gatherings and social events. Feeding a smaller crowd? No worries- this recipe halves easily. (Look HERE for MPM’s Freezer-Friendly Collection.)
Yield: about 6 servings
Yield: about 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large onion coarsely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 pounds ground turkey (a mix of dark and light is recommended-may also use lean ground beef)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil additional
- 8 ounces mushrooms quartered (any variety)
- 3 carrots sliced
- 1 medium zucchini sliced and halved
- 1 medium yellow squash sliced and halved
- 2-3 medium bell peppers any color, seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 medium eggplant peeled and cut into chunks
- Vegetable or chicken broth if needed to prevent sticking
- 1 32 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped (shown in photo)
Or
- 8 plum tomatoes coarsely chopped (or 4 medium-any variety)
- 1 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 28 ounce jars all-natural marinara sauce (with no sugar or preservatives such as Muir Glen, Mezzetta or Paul Newman’s)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 2 teaspoons each dried basil and thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- Coarse pepper or cayenne as desired
Optional
- About 6 cups hot cooked spaghetti squash 1 large (*see MPM Mini-Bites for preparation tips)
- Sautéed spinach or other greens, if desired (*see MPM Mini-Bites for calculating quantity needed)
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium setting. Sauté onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Add ground turkey to stockpot. Continue sautéing for about 7 minutes or until no pink color remains. Drain and reserve.
- Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in the same stockpot over medium setting. Stir in mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and eggplant.
- Sauté for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened. (If vegetables begin to stick, stir in a few tablespoons of vegetable or chicken broth.)
- Stir in reserved ground turkey mixture, canned whole (or fresh if using) and crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce, tomato paste and spices (including salt and pepper)
- Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through and mixture is hot, stirring occasionally. Taste; adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve over hot cooked spaghetti squash and/or sautéed spinach or other greens.
- Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: may be made up to 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate. Freezes well for up to 4 months.
Serving ideas: delicious served over brown rice, orzo, spaghetti, penne and couscous.
Going low carb? This dish is very nice served with sautéed spinach (or chard or kale) in addition to or in place of the spaghetti squash! *to calculate quantity of greens needed: 1 pound fresh spinach = 1 cup cooked
New to cooking spaghetti squash? Here’s my tried and true method: preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil; place squash on baking sheet. With a sharp knife, prick squash all over. Roast for 20 minutes or until a knife can easily pierce the shell. Cut squash in half lengthwise. With a kitchen scissors, snip strings and seeds. Scoop out any remaining fibers and seeds with a spoon. Lightly drizzle cut halves with olive oil. (Or use an oil sprayer like the Misto.) Continue roasting for approximately 25 minutes or until flesh is soft and lightly browned. Scrape out flesh with a fork.
Note: if your squash is very watery, after removing from shell, set in a strainer set over a bowl. Refrigerate and let drain at least 4 hours or overnight. (Or roll squash in a kitchen towel, pressing out as much water as possible.)
Other one-pot meals you may enjoy are: Asian Shrimp, Veggie ‘n Cashew Stir-Fry, Confetti Turkey Chili, Shrimp, Basil and Cherry Tomatoes and Garlicky Penne with Chicken, Broccoli ‘n Grape Tomatoes.
