Description
This Creamy Leftover Turkey Pasta is a comforting and easy-to-make dish perfect for using up leftover turkey or chicken. It features tender shredded meat cooked in a rich, velvety cream sauce with sautéed onions, mushrooms, and garlic, tossed with your choice of pasta and garnished with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. This quick meal comes together in under 20 minutes, making it ideal for a delicious weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 300 g pasta (fusilli, penne, spaghetti, or linguine)
Sauce and Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 150 g mushrooms, sliced (or other vegetables)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Protein
- 300 g leftover turkey or chicken, shredded
Dairy and Seasoning
- 300 ml double (heavy) cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (or fresh sage or basil)
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to the package instructions or to your liking. Once cooked, drain the pasta, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water, and set aside.
- Sauté Onions: Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over low heat. Add the sliced onions and cover with a lid. Cook gently for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften without browning.
- Cook Mushrooms: Increase the heat to medium and add the sliced mushrooms to the pan. Fry for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms and onions have developed a nice brown color.
- Add Garlic and Turkey: Lower the heat to medium-low and add minced garlic and shredded turkey (or chicken) to the pan. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, ensuring the garlic is fragrant and the turkey is heated through.
- Create Cream Sauce: Pour in the double cream and season with salt and pepper. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is hot throughout and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta and reserved cooking water to the pan with the sauce. Stir well to combine everything evenly. Sprinkle half of the chopped parsley into the mixture and stir again to incorporate.
- Serve: Plate the creamy turkey pasta and garnish with the remaining fresh parsley and a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately while warm.
Notes
- This dish is a fantastic way to use up leftover roast turkey or chicken.
- If you don’t have turkey leftovers, substitute with cooked chicken or create turkey leftovers by roasting or poaching fresh turkey breast.
- Feel free to swap mushrooms for other vegetables like bell peppers or zucchini for variety.
- For a lighter version, consider substituting double cream with half-and-half or a lower-fat cream option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 699 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 193 mg
- Fat: 37 g
- Saturated Fat: 19 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 63 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 143 mg
