Natalie's Spaghetti

Tired of the same 'ol boring ground beef and tomato sauce spaghetti?  Try adding fresh veggies and turkey sausage to your standard spaghetti recipe. 

Spaghetti has always been a family favorite of ours.  I love that I can add whatever I want to it, and it turns out great every time.  One standard ingredient that I always like to use is turkey sausage.  It adds an incredible flavor to the sauce.  Tonight I had fresh veggies on hand and I popped those in the spaghetti pot as well.  I will list specifically how I make my spaghetti, but you can use whatever type of meat, noodles and sauce you like.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1 lb turkey sausage (hot or sweet flavors)
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package sliced crimini mushrooms
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped finely
1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, chopped finely
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp Italian herb seasonings
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large can whole, stewed tomatoes
1 jar spaghetti sauce (whatever type you like, I used Trader Joe's tomato basil sauce)
1 can of large black olives, drained (optional)
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti noodles
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt
Parmesan cheese

Directions
1.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes.
2.  Add mushrooms and mix well with onions, heat for another 2 minutes.
3.  Add peppers and mix with other veggies.  Continue sauteing the veggies for another 3-4 minutes.  Sizzle in pan should dull and peppers should give off some juice. 
4.  Add the turkey sausage (remove from casings) and ground turkey.  Add garlic salt and Italian herb seasonings.  Brown meat completely. 
5.  Add can of whole, stewed tomatoes and chop up with spatula, add jar of spaghetti sauce and olives.
6.  Cover and lower heat to simmer.
7.  While sauce is simmering, fill a large pot with water, add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle of salt.  Bring to a boil.
8.  Cook noodles according to package.
9.  Fill a plate with spaghetti noodles, top with meat and veggie sauce.  Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and enjoy!!!!!

I served the spaghetti with a fresh garden salad, fresh baked bread (from the store, not by me) and butter.

Side Notes:
1.  You can omit the meat and make just a veggie spaghetti or vice versa.
2.  You can use all types of veggies, such as eggplant, tomatoes, asparagus, squash, zucchini, etc.
3.  Whole wheat noodles have more texture than regular noodles and are naturally al dente tasting.  If you want to try a healthier noodle, but don't want to go the extreme of 100% whole wheat, try using a multi-grain noodle.  They have a great taste and texture and have more nutrients than the plain white noodles.

Give it a try, doctor up your spaghetti with flavor and good for you ingredients!  Hope it becomes a family favorite, just like it is in our house!