Emily Blunt’s Turkey Bolognese Has a Secret Ingredient That Even Impressed Ina Garten

Ina Garten and Emily Blunt got together to cook a ravishing meal on an episode of Garten’s Be My Guest. Must we really say more?

After Blunt’s viral English Roasted Potatoes, which she made on Ina Garten’s show Barefoot Contessa, made their way into Garten’s “Modern Comfort Food” cookbook, we hoped this episode would bring another great recipe from Blunt’s kitchen. And we were not disappointed.

During the episode, Blunt made her family-favorite turkey bolognese (which she can count Garten as a fan of now too). In fact, not only did Garten love the pasta, she was actually quite impressed with Blunt’s cooking techniques.

Blunt starts her recipe by adding carrots and celery to a food processor—this makes chopping incredibly simple and helps sneak in extra veggies. Parents of picky eaters: this one’s for you.

Later she adds an ingredient that causes Garten to raise an eyebrow: whole milk.

“Milk?” Garten asks.

“Milk. I promise you. It really tenderizes the meat and gets it really delicious and yummy,” Blunt says.

She’s right, milk is a common ingredient found in most bolognese recipes. Adding milk creates a rich, creamy sauce all while tenderizing the meat, too.

Blunt only simmers her sauce on the stovetop for a couple of minutes to let the flavors blend together, then she lets the oven do most of the cooking.

“You’re going to do this in the oven aren’t you? Which is so interesting,” Garten says.

“I’ve done it both ways. When it goes in the oven it kind of melts it down and gets it really caramel-ly and yummy. And then you can just walk away,” Blunt responds.

One thing you’ll notice about Blunt’s recipe is that there isn’t a ton of liquid. That’s the key to her bolognese, which she learned from her brother-in-law Stanley Tucci.

“I’ve got a good tip from Stanley Tucci: He says [the bolognese] should be a little drier, not as saucy,” Blunt tells Garten.

The 45 minutes in the oven really reduces the sauce and makes it quite thick.

One thing is for certain. Though Blunt may have learned a thing or two from Tucci, she still has her own techniques.

“Stanley Tucci would not approve of this,” she jokes as she adds butter to coat the pasta.

We Tried Emily Blunt’s Turkey Bolognese

After watching Blunt and Garten enjoy this one-pot turkey bolognese, I knew I had to make the recipe.

For a homemade sauce, the ingredients are really simple and the oven technique is actually genius. I didn’t have to stand over the sauce and babysit it, which meant I had plenty of time to prepare the pasta, plus a side salad, and garlic bread to complement this gourmet meal.

Blunt did warn me, but the sauce is pretty dry. So if you like saucy pasta, you might want to add more tomato paste or another form of tomatoes (sorry Tucci). Other than that, this bolognese was a hit with my family.

Emily Blunt, you’ve done it again. What else do you have up your gorgeous dress sleeves?