The Best Way To Use Up Your Leftover Turkey: Creamy Turkey Pasta!
As the holidays roll around, we like to keep a bunch of recipes for all the yummy leftovers in our Rolodex for when the time comes! We make sure the recipes are easy, fun, and most of all, delicious! This recipe for creamy turkey pasta fits all three - tender noodles, creamy cheesy sauce, specks of fresh cracked black pepper, and all topped with toasted almonds and golden brown panko..what more could you ask for? It’s one of our favorite ways to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey from our Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe and pairs well with the remaining leftovers! Did we mention it also is ideal for feeding a bunch of picky eaters because it’s budget-friendly and ready in less than an hour!
What’s In This Creamy Pasta Recipe?
Who doesn’t love a quick and easy, throw-together creamy pasta bake…
Bucatini noodles (or gluten-free noodles work well here too!)
Salted butter
Salt
Almonds
Panko (or if you’re going the gluten-free route, GF panko!)
Garlic cloves and garlic powder
Nutmeg
Freshly cracked black pepper
Heavy cream
Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
Leftover turkey
Flat leaf parsley
What to Serve with Creamy Leftover Turkey Pasta
You can serve this recipe for creamy pasta on its own…or you can jazz it up with a side of Cranberry Relish, Baked Sweet Potato, or even Roasted Carrots. Keep it light with a salad such as our favorites The Kale Salad, Herby, Seedy Butter Lettuce Salad with Tahini Dressing, or Shaved Snap Pea Salad with Goat Cheese and Dates. If you’re serving a crowd, bulk it up with Pull Apart Cheese Bread, Garlic Bread, and maybe even our simple, no-fuss fluffy Focaccia.
How To Make Leftover Turkey Pasta
This simple pasta recipe pulls together in less than an hour – for when you have no desire to cook, but lots of turkey leftover (we love a waste-free household!), we’ve got the solution. Follow these simple step by step below:
Prepare the pasta! Bucatini is a thin spaghetti-like noodle with a hollow center, perfect for sucking up all that creamy pasta sauce. We like to cook it perfectly al-dente, so be sure to check your package for details. One of the most important steps is to make sure you salt your pasta water!
Toppings for days! In a skillet, toast the almonds, then the panko. Crunchy almonds and crispy, golden-brown panko elevate this dish.
Make the creamy pasta sauce! Our favorite part of this dish is the rich and creamy sauce, made from heavy cream, Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese, fresh cracked pepper, a hint of nutmeg, and garlic! The turkey then gets added directly into the sauce to heat through
Mix and voila! Drain the pasta. Pro tip: save some of the pasta water to incorporate into the sauce which will help coat each strand of bucatini. Add the creamy sauce to the pasta and serve. Top with the toasted almonds, butter panko, and freshly chopped parsley!
Simple Tools You’ll Need
Spatula or wooden spoon, for mixing
Our Favorite Creamy Pasta Recipes…
When we’re looking for a lazy day meal, we like to keep it cozy and delicious with creamy pasta like:
Trust Us, Make Extra Turkey Just for Creamy Turkey Pasta!
While some say turkey and mashed potatoes are a match made in heaven, we think this creamy pasta recipe is a strong contender for leftover turkey! What did you think? Would you make it again? Let us know..snap a photo of your creamy turkey pasta and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
