This simple and easy recipe not only produces mouth-wateringly delicious spaghetti and meat sauce, but it can also be adjusted to meet different dietary needs. For those on a gluten-free diet, use gluten-free spaghetti. Although ground turkey was used in this version, you can substitute any other ground meat or even meat substitute.

 I threw in a handful of dried bean flakes and some shredded carrots for added nutrients when I made this a few nights ago, and my son never even knew that they were there (shhh!).

Ingredients

• 3 pounds of ground turkey (or other ground meat or meat substitute)
• 1 (16 ounce) box of uncooked spaghetti
• 1 (48 ounce) jar of tomato sauce (or 3 15.5 ounce cans)
• 2 Tablespoons Italian herb mix (or equal amounts dried oregano, basil, and parsley, combined)
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder
• 2 Tablespoons sazon (can be found in the Goya section of your grocery store)
• 2 Tablespoons granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (or more if you prefer spicier)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil spray

Directions

1. Spray the interior of a 5 quart pot (I use a cast iron Dutch oven) with oil spray, add ground turkey, and cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to break apart clumps of meat.
2. While the turkey is cooking, fill a 3 quart pan about 2/3 of the way with water. Place pan on the stove and bring water to a boil. Once water is boiling, add spaghetti, reduce heat to low, and cook spaghetti until al dente, keeping pot uncovered. Drain spaghetti and set aside.
3. When turkey is cooked, turn heat to low. Add tomato sauce and all spices, stirring to incorporate. Then, add drained spaghetti to the meat/sauce/spice mixture, stirring well to incorporate. Let simmer for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent food from sticking on the bottom of the pan.
4. Serve warm, with crusty bread and salad, and enjoy!

Nutritional Information (using 97% lean ground turkey): Serving size: 1 Cup | Servings per recipe: around 20 | Per Serving: 202 kCal | 18.5 g. fat, 2.1 g saturated fat, 0.1 g trans fat. | 612.2 mg sodium | 11.9 g carbohydrates, 1.8 g fiber, 2.6 g. sugar | 21 g protein