Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Ground Chicken Recipes Chicken Bolognese With Tagliatelle 5.0 (1) 1 Review It's lighter than the traditional sauce but just as delicious—and this recipe is quick enough for a weeknight. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 20, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Jacob Fox Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 4 Our chicken Bolognese comes together in just 45 minutes, making it quicker and more weeknight-friendly than a traditional iteration. The richly flavored sauce is made with white and dark meat, canned tomatoes, milk, and white wine, plus vegetables like carrots, celery, and onion. It’s one of our favorite ways to use ground chicken, and while it’s satisfying and hearty, there’s nothing heavy about it. Try it over tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine; we prefer pairing the sauce with these broad, flat noodles instead of spaghetti. As an added bonus, this sauce freezes incredibly well, so you can save some in the freezer for a future meal. 8 Ground Chicken Recipes for Quick, Flavorful Meals All About Bolognese Sauce There are plenty of delicious pasta sauce recipes, but few, if any, can hold a candle to the rich, satisfying star that is Bolognese. It hails from the northern part of Italy and always features ground meat—typically beef, though pork, lamb, and even chicken livers are sometimes added. Carrots, onion, and celery lend a vegetal backbone while white wine and milk bring acidity and richness. Bolognese is traditionally served with a long, flat egg noodle like tagliatelle, which is the perfect vehicle for twirling and catching the silky sauce. It typically cooks for several hours, allowing the flavors and textures concentrate and meld into a seriously delicious sauce. Our chicken Bolognese swaps out the meat for ground chicken to produce a sauce that's lighter in body and richness, yet just as satisfying as the original. We also cut the cooking time down to a modest 45 minutes, which makes this recipe doable on a weeknight. Buying and Cooking Ground Chicken When shopping for ground chicken for this recipe, opt for a mixture of light and dark meat for the best flavor and texture. If you're looking for an extra lean option, you can buy ground chicken breast, just note that it may cook up slightly drier than a blend featuring dark meat would. Since it contains less fat than ground beef, it's important to add a touch of extra fat when cooking ground chicken. For this chicken Bolognese, we begin with two tablespoons of olive oil, which adds enough richness without making the sauce oily. Alternative to ground chicken: If you can't find ground chicken, use a blend of light and dark meat ground turkey. It will be equally delicious. How to Make This Recipe Dairy Free To make this recipe dairy free, simply swap in a non-dairy alternative for the milk such as unsweetened almond or soy milk. If you don't have any white wine on hand—or just prefer not to cook with it—you can use an equal amount of dry vermouth or leave it out all together. Making Chicken Bolognese Ahead of Time This recipe for chicken Bolognese can be cooked up to three days before you plan to serve it. It can also be frozen for up to three months. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container and refrigerating or freezing. Since the recipe contains milk, we recommend reheating it gently to prevent the sauce from separating. Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup) 1 celery stalk, finely chopped (½ cup), plus leaves for serving 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (¾ cup) Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 pound ground chicken (preferably a mix of white and dark) 3 tablespoons tomato paste ½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc ¾ cup whole milk 1 can (14.5 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in juices, pureed 1 pound tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine Freshly grated Parmesan and nutmeg, for serving Directions Jacob Fox Cook onion, celery, and carrots: Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Swirl in oil. Add onion, celery, and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Jacob Fox Add chicken and cook: Add chicken; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking into bite-size pieces, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Jacob Fox Stir in tomato paste, followed by wine: Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 minutes. Add wine; boil until almost evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Jacob Fox Add milk and tomatoes; simmer: Add milk and tomatoes; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Jacob Fox Cook pasta, reserving pasta water; toss with sauce until evenly coated: Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water; return to pot. Add sauce, then pasta water, a little at a time, until sauce evenly coats pasta. Drizzle with oil and top with celery leaves, cheese, and a pinch of nutmeg; serve. Jacob Fox How to Store This Sauce Refrigerate leftover chicken Bolognese in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze it for up to three months. Reheat it gently, either on the stovetop or in the microwave, to keep the sauce from separating. What to Serve With Chicken Bolognese Besides some freshly boiled tagliatelle, we recommend serving this sauce with a classic Caesar salad or a simple green salad. Some kicked-up broccolini would be a delicious accompaniment, as would some homemade garlic bread for mopping up any extra sauce. More Pasta Sauce Recipes to Try: Grandma's Bolognese All-Purpose Tomato Sauce Creamy Tomato Sauce Basic Meat Sauce for Pasta Vegetarian Bolognese With Bucatini Roasted Tomato Sauce Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, March 2016 Rate It PRINT Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and freelance writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.