High-Protein Turkey Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

Plate of spaghetti bolognese
(Image credit: Adrian Lawrence. Courtesy Bloomsbury Sport)

By now, you’re probably well aware that protein has a ton of benefits associated with it and a high-protein diet is recommended for everyone from endurance athletes to gym-goers to people looking to lose weight. And while you may have learned that fact from protein supplement adverts, it’s always better to satisfy your protein needs with delicious food.

Said delicious food includes this easy-to-make high-protein spaghetti bolognese recipe taken from Anita Bean’s The Runner’s Cookbook. It swaps beef for turkey mince, which adds at least another 6g of protein per 100g according to our rankings of high-protein foods. The result in a dish with 48g of protein per portion, while other popular spaghetti bolognese recipes on the internet have just 30-40g. With a healthy 56g portion of carbs, it’s also a great meal to include in a carb-loading plan.

It’s not the only recipe Bean’s shared exclusively with Coach, either. We have not one but three high-protein vegan recipes to help you vary your protein sources, as well as this green recovery smoothie and cocoa and almond energy balls recipe.

High-Protein Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

Ingredients (Makes Four Servings)

  • 250g wholewheat spaghetti
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 500g turkey mince
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 2tbsp tomato purée
  • 1tsp dried oregano (or 2tbsp fresh oregano)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Dash of Worcestershire sauce
  • 2tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

To serve: Green vegetables, such as spring greens or cabbage.

Method

  1. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water according to the directions on the packet.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for three to four minutes until translucent. Add the turkey mince and cook, stirring, for four to five minutes until no longer pink.
  3. Add the celery, garlic and carrots and cook for three to five minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, purée, herbs and Worcestershire sauce, and season to taste. Simmer for 45 minutes (or longer if you have time) until the sauce has thickened.
  4. Stir through the cooked pasta and scatter over the Parmesan.
  5. Serve with your green veg of choice.

Nutrition (Per Serving)

Calories 566
Protein 48g
Fat 14g
-of which saturates 4g
Carbohydrates 56g
-of which sugars 16g
Fiber 12g


More Pasta Recipes To Try

Jonathan Shannon
Editor

Jonathan Shannon has been the editor of the Coach website since 2016, developing a wide-ranging experience of health and fitness. Jonathan took up running while editing Coach and has run a sub-40min 10K and 1hr 28min half marathon. His next ambition is to complete a marathon. He’s an advocate of cycling to work and is Coach’s e-bike reviewer, and not just because he lives up a bit of a hill. He also reviews fitness trackers and other workout gear.