Emily Blunt’s “Creamy” One-Pot Pasta Is So Unbelievably Good, I’m Making It Every Week of Fall

I’ve been making turkey bolognese for years. It’s my go-to comfort food when I want something hearty but not too heavy. So when I heard Ina Garten call Emily Blunt’s version “perfect,” my ears perked up. A new spin on one of my favorite dishes sounded great. What really piqued my interest was Blunt’s unique cooking method. The sauce begins on the stovetop and then finishes in the oven. The idea of a hands-off approach that lets the oven do all the work while I tackle my ever-growing to-do list was music to my ears. I couldn’t wait to see how this Hollywood twist on a classic would stack up against my tried-and-true recipes.

Get the recipe: Emily Blunt’s Turkey Bolognese

Like any good bolognese recipe, Blunt’s begins with sautéeing some onions in olive oil and butter because, as we all know, “everything tastes better with butter.” The onions don’t spend a lot of time in the pot (just enough to begin to get some color). The recipe then calls for adding finely chopped carrots and celery, which she recommends to pulse in a food processor to save time and get them almost imperceptibly small. The method creates a finer texture that blends seamlessly into the sauce because Blunt says her kids are funny about vegetables. As someone who appreciates a good veggie-loaded pasta, I appreciated this step.

Once all of the vegetables are mixed together, add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two before adding the ground turkey. Continue cooking until the meat begins to brown, then deglaze the pot with a full cup of white wine. White wine is essential, according to Garten, who says that if you use red, it tastes more like beef bourguignon. After it has reduced slightly, add the tomato paste, another cup of milk, two bay leaves, and a Parmesan rind and let everything come to a simmer. Add salt and pepper, then put a lid on the pot and transfer it to the oven.

It cooks at 300°F for 45 minutes. This hands-off approach is the perfect remedy for busy cooks, parents, students, and anyone who values the ability to multitask. I only had to come back to cook the noodles. The final step involves stirring the cooked, draining noodles into the sauce, and adding some reserved pasta water back in, along with some grated parmesan and another knob of butter.

As a lover of turkey bolognese and bolognese, in general, I already knew I was going to love this. The longer, slow cooking time in the oven gives it a rich, almost caramelized flavor that had everyone in my family going back for seconds. The turkey was tender and flavorful, and the vegetables melded perfectly into the sauce.

That said, I did make a couple of minor tweaks. My kids prefer a saucier sauce, so I stirred in a bit of leftover tomato puree, seasoned liberally with salt and pepper, and finished the entire pot off with a splash of balsamic vinegar to brighten it up a bit. The verdict from my family? Two enthusiastic thumbs up. My kids happily devoured their portions, and my youngest even asked if we could have it again the next day!

• Don’t skip the food processor step. It’s a great hack for incorporating more vegetables into your sauce. If you don’t have a food processor (and even if you do), one of these handheld choppers is revolutionary in the kitchen. I went to culinary school and prided myself on my knife skills and cuts; I even have a food processor. 

• Use whatever turkey meat you can find. Blunt calls for dark turkey meat, which has more fat and flavor, but I couldn’t find any and didn’t have time to grind my own, so I used extra-lean (what was available), and it was still delicious. 

• Don’t be afraid to adjust the seasoning. I made this twice. The first time, I added a splash of good balsamic vinegar at the end to contrast the sweetness. I did that again the second time, but I added some dried oregano and basil into the sauce before it went into the oven. These adjustments added some welcome nuance to the dish.

• If you prefer a saucier bolognese, add some extra liquid. Chicken broth, marinara, or even a can of crushed or pureed tomatoes work well. Be sure to adjust the seasoning to taste.

• Season everything well. The Food Network’s recipe notes suggest adding salt and pepper before putting it into the oven, but for the best flavor, season as you cook and with each layer. 

• Like most sauces, this sauce gets better as it sits. We ate ours one day after I made it, and the taste comparison was notable. This means it’s an excellent recipe choice for meal prep and planning.  I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but I imagine it would also handle that well.

Get the recipe: Emily Blunt’s Turkey Bolognese

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Emily Blunt’s “Creamy” One-Pot Pasta Is So Unbelievably Good, I’m Making It Every Week of Fall