Classic Winter Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

Hey, everybody! I'm back with a really simple recipe that is perfect for school nights when you're on a time-crunch. I made this last night for my family, and it was very tasty! This recipe is so simple that it would be a good one to test for anyone of any skill level. If you've been cooking for a long time, you could change up the flavor palette and add some different vegetables or a different kind of meat to the sauce. I've seen some recipes for tomato sauce that has a bit of lemon and ginger in it.... It sounds weird, but I want to give it a try in the future. You could try adding that to my recipe and tell me what happens! If you aren't very experienced yet, give this recipe a try! It's super basic and gives you a good introduction to tasty, "normal", healthy food. This recipe is not vegetarian (shocking, I know!), but you could easily add white beans instead of ground turkey to supplement the protein.

Classic Winter Whole-Wheat Spaghetti
Serves 6

Ingredients
16 oz whole-wheat spaghetti
½ of a large yellow onion, diced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 (20 oz) package free-range ground turkey
1 (15 oz) can organic diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can organic tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
4 cups broccoli florets
1 large bunch chard, coarsely chopped2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
(Optional) Organic parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preparation
1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and add the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the package, until al dente. Drain in a colander and return to the pot.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and fresh herbs. Sauté for about five minutes, or until the onion is slightly translucent. Add the ground turkey. Break up the ground turkey using a wooden spoon and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about three to five minutes, until the turkey is almost lightly browned on all sides. Then, add the broccoli and chard. Sauté for another minute. Make a well in the middle of the pot and add the tomato paste. Do not discard the can. Fill the can with water, and pour the water into the well. Stir the tomato paste and water until incorporated, and then slowly work the diluted tomato paste into the rest of the ingredients. Cook until broccoli is close to bright green and the turkey has finished browning.

3. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix well and adjust seasonings if needed (you will most likely need more salt). Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce bubble for about five minutes. Be mindful that the turkey must be fully cooked and that the broccoli shouldn't be overdone (a fairly bright green color is what you're looking for). Remove from heat.

Combine the pasta and spaghetti in the large pot or in a large bowl. Top each individual plate with parmesan, if you so choose, and serve. Enjoy!

There's my recipe for today! I know I promised a post about the team's trip to Theo Chocolate, but my day has been hectic, so I didn't have time to write a big post about it. The tour was incredibly fun, though, and we learned so much! (And we bought way too much chocolate... oops...) Here's a sneak peek to the fun things you can expect next Sunday:

I'm digging my quadruple chins. So pretty.
 

Thanks for your support, and don't forget to follow Teens Can Cook, Too at all the social media handles below! This month is going to have lots of great holiday recipes and fun things for you, so make sure you keep up with what's going on and visit the blog every Sunday night for a new post.

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Stay healthy!
- Madeline