Eliminating the pork/beef and oil from an old recipe was hardly noticeable. This sauce gets its taste from the amount of time the tomatoes are allowed to stew, as well as the addition of olives and capers at the end. This pasta sauce was an eye-opener towards the use of leaner ground meats for sauces. The meat is really just for texture and I could even have done without.

Rigatoni and lean turkey meat sauce, mushrooms, capers and olives. Mangia!

Oil-Free Turkey Pasta Sauce

1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 head garlic, peeled and chopped
1 whole medium onion, chopped
6 white button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp italian seasoning
1 can Muir Glen organic whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1/2 can tomato paste
1 teaspoon capers
6 kalamata olives, crushed, pitted and chopped coarsely
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the turkey in a dry medium-sized stew pot over medium heat. Cover to produce liquid, mixing occasionally and taking pieces apart with a ladle. Add garlic, onions, and mushrooms, and cooked covered for about 10 minutes to produce liquid. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and add tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer on low heat for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally and ensuring turkey pieces are completely separated. Add olives and capers in the last ten minutes of cooking. Serve over rigatoni, ziti, or fetuccine.

Mangia!