Spaghetti with Ground Turkey

As promised, I decided to make something quick and easy today! I love spaghetti and a healthier alternative is using ground turkey. You could hardly taste the difference and it's still just as delicious! This would pair perfectly with some spaghetti squash instead of using pasta! I, however, decided to use pasta because I am in the mood for it on this gloomy day. Have fun with this recipe and add or omit whatever you would like! If I wanted to spend more time on spaghetti today, I would have added a variety of vegetables instead of just mushrooms. Zucchini and squash work well to give it the extra crunch. Everyone has a different take on spaghetti so it is hard to please all! Keep in mind, if you want your spaghetti a little more tart, add ketchup! If you want it more sweet, leave it as is or even add a hint of sugar. I enjoy more meat in my sauce, so this is what the recipe is geared towards. If you want more sauce, then simply add a bigger jar of pasta sauce or a small can of crushed tomatoes!

Yields: ~6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) bag of spaghetti pasta or a pasta of your choice
1 (4.5 oz.) container of diced onions, garlic, and shallots (I was lazy! You can chop up a small onion and 3 cloves of garlic instead)
1 lb. white ground turkey
A pinch or two of salt and pepper
1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 (5 oz.) container of mushrooms (the 10 oz. I bought was way too much for this recipe)
1 (24 oz.) jar of pasta sauce of your choice or more depending on how much sauce you want (I chose tomato and basil for the flavor)

Directions:
1. Fill a large pot 2/3 of the way with water and add salt. Let boil on high heat. In the meantime, roughly chop the mushrooms and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, cook the onions, garlic, and shallots on medium-high heat until transparent, about 2-

3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning and cook for an additional 3 minutes, breaking up the meat occasionally. Add the chopped mushrooms before the meat fully cooks to allow it time to soften a bit. Once the turkey is fully cooked, about 2-3 minutes more, add the jar of pasta sauce and allow it to come to a boil. Stir occasionally. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to allow the sauce to simmer for an additional 10 - 15 minutes with a cover. Serve immediately.

In my 6 years of working in the food and beverage industry, I have learned that the best way to serve pasta is to heat up the pasta in a skillet with a little bit of oil or butter, then add some of the sauce and allow it all to heat up and meld together. This is the only way you will get the flavors to absorb into the pasta! It is a bit of an extra step, but well worth the trouble. Enjoy and make the recipe your own!