Cheater's Spicy Turkey Mushroom & Wine Pasta Sauce
This is a common way I doctor up a plain jar of marinara for spaghetti night. It's thick, rich and meaty, loaded with identifiable veggies and tastes great with pasta, zoodles, spaghetti squash etc.
1poundhot italian turkey sausageremoved from casings
8ouncesmushrooms
1medium onionchopped
½bell pepperchopped
1carrotpeeled and diced
1-2largecloves garlicminced
½teaspoonfennel seedcrushed
½teaspoondried basil
½teaspoondried oregano
¼teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes
½cupred wine
sprinkle fresh herbs such as parsley or basiloptional
parmesan rindoptional
Instructions
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Add the turkey sausage and break apart with the back of a spoon or fork. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until mostly cooked. Transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside.
Return the skillet to the heat and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook in a single layer, turning occasionally until the mushrooms have shrunk by about half and have browned.
Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil and stir in the onion, bell pepper and carrots. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
Add the garlic, crushed fennel seed, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook for one minute or until the garlic and herbs are fragrant.
Add the turkey back to the pot and stir in the marinara sauce and wine. If you have a leftover parmesan rind, add it to the sauce to simmer (just be sure to remove it before serving).
Cover with the lid, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce, starts to burn or gets too thick, you can add a little more wine (about 1/4 cup) or half a ladle of pasta water to thin it out.