Gwyneth's Turkey Ragu

Another recipe from Goop. The first time I made this was just before my sister gave birth to her first baby. I cooked up a big batch of ragu, packaged it up in zip lock containers and sent it to her house to freeze until it was needed.

This time around I tinkered with the ingredients a bit, adding extra veggies and herbs. My changes are marked with an asterisk (*).

Turkey Ragu

1 lb. ground turkey (at room temperature)*
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 medium or 1 large onion, diced
1 stalks celery, diced*
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4-6 white mushrooms, sliced*
2 15 oz. cans plum tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp herbes de provence or Italian herb blend* or 1 tsp oregano* and 1 tsp basil*
1 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup red wine
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil for sauteing


1. In a sauce pan over medium low heat, saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil. Cook until soft.

2. Add the red pepper flakes and fennel seeds (bash a bit with back of a spoon before adding). Add the mushrooms, basil and oregano.

3. While the veggies are cooking, brown the turkey in a skillet over medium heat. Add the herbes de provence or Italian herb blend.

4. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir well.

5. Add the tomatoes and stir well. If desired, blend the sauce using an immersion blender. I did this because I prefer the texture of a less chunky sauce. It's also a good trick if you have picky kids because the vegetables become "hidden".

6. When turkey is browned and cooked through, add it to the sauce. Mix well and bring to a boil.

7. Add the red wine, stir well then bring to a boil again.

8. Turn the heat down to low. Partially cover the sauce pan. Let the sauce simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

9. Taste often and adjust your seasonings as needed.

10. Serve with pasta of your choice. I used a mix of whole wheat and brown rice penne.

Variations:

-Eliminate the turkey for a delicious vegetarian Arrabbiata sauce.
-Turn your ragu into a classic meat-lovers Bolognese Sauce by adding ground veal to your ground turkey.