An American Family Favorite Transformed: Healthier Veggie Turkey Spaghetti

My husband, Tim, is a man who loves food! I am such a lucky girl because he not only willingly tries all of my new food inventions, but also all the traditional favorites make his tummy happy. With an Asian descent but growing up in America, he has eaten everything and doesn't mind a bit! Whew! Made my early days of learning how to cook MUCH less stressful. Thanks honey!

One of Tim's favorite dishes to make as a bachelor was spaghetti. He still gets excited when I make it. Maybe it brings back fond memories of those younger years or maybe he just really loves how I make it....maybe both. When we first got married way back when, I did not know how to cook. I could heat up a few things and use the microwave like a champ, but it far from being a healthy chef by any means. As a new wife, I was so frustrated I could not cook delicious food for my husband so I made myself a promise that I WOULD learn how to cook. Over the last 6 years I have worked hard not only to learn how to cook food, but to make it healthier while also making the taster smile. There is just something magical about making a dish that makes someone go "Mmmmm" as they take bite after bite. That is what this spaghetti does.

Everyone who tries my special spaghetti is a little apprehensive at first. They think..zucchini in spaghetti?? Many of them have only eaten spaghetti one way: tomato sauce, noodles, sprinkle parmesan cheese. Sure there's nothing wrong with that, but why not make it SO MUCH better for you?? It can taste even more yummy, and you have the pleasure of knowing that you are feeding your family and friends with the healthiest spaghetti recipe you have! Pretty sweet deal.

Mushrooms, zucchini, onions, and three kinds of peppers bring
tons of nutrients and vitamins to this dish

Apart from the health benefits of tomato sauce (did you know tomatoes are the most nutritious and good for you when cooked?), there is a large variety of vegetables and lean ground turkey added. If you're into whole wheat pasta you could throw that in there too, but my family kind of draws the line at that point. I sometimes also make my tomato sauce from scratch, but I generally don't have enough time and buy the No Sugar Added Hunt's Pasta Sauce at Kroger. It keeps the carbohydrate and sugar content low but does not skimp on taste. These pictures make me what to make this again..soon..maybe next week??

For those of you who are Vegan or Vegetarian, you can easily omit the ground turkey meat and still be left with a tasty and healthy sauce or if you prefer a lower carb meal you can keep your noodles and sauce separate like we do at my house. Then everyone can add as many noodles or as much sauce as they want. I always want more sauce...my husband and son like more noodles. :)

Healthier Veggie Turkey Spaghetti
(Can be gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, Vegan, Vegetarian)
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound of noodles (gluten free or wheat or whole wheat)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 pound lean ground turkey (7%)
• Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp olive oil (for vegetables) + 1 tbs olive oil (for noodles)
• 2 zucchinis, sliced
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced 
• 1 cups peppers, chopped (red, green, and yellow)*
• 1 cup white onion, chopped*
• 1 24 ounce can Hunt's No Added Sugar Pasta Sauce or 2 1/2 cups of any tomato sauce
• Powdered cheese or nutritional yeast (optional)**

Directions

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. 
2. While the water is coming to a boil, pour the chicken broth into a separate pot and cook the ground turkey on med-high heat with the italian seasoning until done. 
3. When meat is done, place on a plate covered with paper towels to soak up the extra fat. 
4. By this time the water should be boiling, add the noodles and cook as directed.
5. Pour out any leftover juice from pot and add 1 tsp olive oil. Add half of the zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Stir occasionally on med-high heat. After a few minutes of cooking, add the other half and continue cooking until all is softened and finished.
6. Add the turkey into the vegetables and stir together on medium heat. 
7. Pour in the pasta sauce and stir until warm. 
8. Drain the noodles, add 1 tbs. of olive oil, and stir to keep the noodles from sticking.
9. If prefered combine noodles and sauce mixture or leave separate and serve.
10. Add powdered cheese or nutritional yeast to individual bowls if desired.

If you like this recipe, please feel free to CLICK one of the "Reactions" below above the comments and/or add this recipe to your Pinterest board and/or share on Facebook! Thanks :)

Notes:

*To reduce prep time I buy the peppers and onions already chopped and frozen. They are just as nutritious and make this dish much easier. Feel free to use fresh and chop them yourself. 

**Nutritional Yeast is a dairy free option to powdered cheese. I use the Bragg brand which can be bought at Kroger and many other chain grocery stores or health food stores. 

Bon Appetit!