Leftover Turkey Pasta in a creamy alfredo sauce, a hearty pasta dinner dish that goes down well with everyone in the family. It has a delicious hint of garlic that cuts through the creaminess of the sauce, and the addition of peas adds a splash of colour and more goodness.
You can never go wrong with a nice bowl of pasta, no matter the time of the week. It's so easy to put together a lovely meal by just throwing in whatever you have around, as long as you have some good old pasta as the base.
My kids might be the biggest fans of bolognese sauce, but I much prefer a simple sauce, or some rich creamy sauce that knocks your socks off. And this alfredo sauce never fails to disappoint.
I have tried countless versions of dishes based on alfredo sauce, with my firm favourites being Prawn Alfredo Pasta, Salmon Alfredo Pasta and Chicken Alfredo Pasta. It's so easy to tweak, and it goes so well with so many other ingredients.
And leftover turkey is another winner. You know me already, I am a big fan of leftover recipes, and not a big fan of waste - and this leftover turkey alfredo pasta is a real treat.
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Ingredients used
- leftover turkey - cubed and ready to use - it can be leftovers from a whole roast, turkey crown or turkey legs
- cream - double cream/heavy cream works the best here
- garlic - the more, the better
- butter - I prefer salted butter for savoury dishes
- parmesan - it adds a nice kick to the sauce - can be replaced with other strong hard cheeses like cheddar
- peas - I used frozen peas that had been cooked beforehand
- salt and pepper - to taste
- fresh parsley
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- cook the pasta according to the packet instructions
- when it's cooked, reserve two tablespoons of water, then drain the rest, but don't rinse the pasta.
- in a separate pan, melt the butter on a medium heat, and add the peeled and finely chopped garlic
- leave it to cook for 30 seconds so that the garlic can release its flavour
- add the cream, give it a good stir, and bring it to the boil
- season with salt and pepper to taste
- remove the pan from the heat
- add the parmesan, cubed turkey, peas, pasta and reserved water, and give it a good stir
- garnish with fresh parsley
Expert tips
The reserved pasta water helps with the creaminess, so I highly recommend using it. It also helps loosening the sauce a bit, as it can become a bit too thick without it.
The parmesan also helps with a nice creamy texture - do use as much as you like. Freshly grated parmesan is the best, but otherwise ready-grated is a good option too.
The dish works with any kind of pasta - fusilli, spaghetti, linguine, macaroni and so on - just keep the same amount of dry pasta, and everything else can stay the same.
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Leftover Turkey Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups penne pasta
- 1 cup leftover turkey, cubed
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 25 g butter
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup double cream (heavy cream)
- ¼ cup parmesan, grated
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
- When it's cooked, reserve 2 tablespoons of the water, and drain the rest.
- In a separate pan, bring 2 cups of water to the boil, add the frozen peas, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain the water and set the peas aside.
- In a large pan, melt the butter, add the peeled and finely chopped garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the cream, and give it a good stir, then bring the sauce to a boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the reserved water, parmesan, cubed turkey, peas, and season well.
- Give it a good stir for the ingredients to be well combined.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
- The reserved pasta water helps with the creaminess, so I highly recommend using it. It also helps loosening the sauce a bit, as it can become a bit too thick without it.
- The parmesan also helps with a nice creamy texture - do use as much as you like. Freshly grated parmesan is the best, but otherwise ready-grated is a good option too.
- The dish works with any kind of pasta - fusilli, spaghetti, linguine, macaroni and so on - just keep the same amount of dry pasta, and everything else can stay the same.
Nutrition
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