Asian Bolognese

(this post was originally published 9/29/10; it has been republished with an updated photograph)

I really did not expect this meal to be as delicious as it actually was.  The blog from which I plucked the recipe had zero credit with me – meaning I’d never read it before nor did I know anyone who ever read it.  Yes, blogger friends, I know what other blogs you read.

And in addition to the blog have little more credit beyond its ability to make it onto FoodGawker or TasteSpotting or whichever site led me there, the recipe itself sounded a little oddball.  Asian Bolognese.

What does that even mean?  Asian bolognese?  What do you even do with that?

A brief Q&A:

Do you put it on pasta? Sure.
Does it have to be rice pasta? Nah.

Can you put it on other stuff? Yep.
Like what? I put it on spaghetti squash.  That’s pasta for people who’ve freaked themselves out by eating too much junk.  The original blogger topped freshly steamed green beans with it; that looks great.

Does it takes like soy sauce? Not at all.  It tastes like a complex, flavorful, subtly spicy tomato sauce.  In fact, let’s just take the word Asian right out of the equation because that’s the sole reason I stumbled upon this recipe and then kept the window open in my browser for 8 days before I decided I could make it.

One Year Ago: Red Wine Spaghetti

Not Italian Asian Bolognese (4 servings, inspired by this recipe)
1 pound ground turkey (extra lean)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp Minced Ginger
2 tsp Sesame Oil
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
1 T Sriracha sauce
sesame seeds for garnish

Combine ground turkey, onion, minced garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a large bowl.  Mix thoroughly with your hands.  Preheat a large skillet stovetop and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Add ground meat mixture and cook, crumbling large pieces of meat with your spatula as the meat cooks.  Add crushed tomatoes and hot sauce and simmer 10 minutes.  Serve as desired, garnishing with sesame seeds and scallions, if desired.

4 servings, per serving
Calories 222.2
Total Fat 10.5 g
Total Carbohydrate 9.6 g
Protein 23.8 g

I am submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Night, hosted by Ruth at Recipes from 4EveryKitchen.  This is my first time submitting to this roundup.  Check it out.