I know we’ve been posting a LOT of smoked stuff here recently, but we’re still in love with our Traeger and always coming up with new ideas to try. If you like a hearty meat sauce to throw over some pasta, (or spaghetti squash) then you’re in luck. This came out really tasty, but as goes for any good sauce, you need to adjust it to your taste. More basil? Sure! Less red pepper flakes? No problem! You get the idea…I like to add a bit of seasoning while it’s simmering away, taste, then adjust, repeat until it’s just right!
What you’ll need:
About 12-14 tomatoes, quartered
4 heads garlic, top trimmed off
2 large onions, quartered
2 red bell peppers, cut in strips
2 lbs ground turkey
1 pkg Italian sausage
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, oregano to taste
Method:
Place all of the vegetables on foil-covered cookie sheets and drizzle a little olive oil, salt and oregano on them (put the garlic heads top down, so they sit in the olive oil). Put on the Traeger at 180. Smoke for 2-3 hours, or until the tomatoes are well-wilted down and the other vegetables are getting slightly browned. It was a cold morning when I did mine, so ended up turning it up a click or two for the last hour.
Meanwhile, saute the ground turkey burger and Italian sausage in a large sauce pot until browned. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, fennel, and pepper to taste.
Pull the veggies off and let cool enough to handle. Chop everything up and add to the meat. Correct seasonings, if needed. I like a ton of fennel and oregano. Simmer over low heat until flavors are incorporated and all the veggies are nice and tender.
You can serve this over any shape pasta or spaghetti squash (pictured)!
Enjoy!
Leave a Reply