Leftover Turkey Pasta
A creamy Leftover Turkey Pasta with mushrooms, leeks, spinach and Parmesan. A quick, family-friendly 15-minute recipe for using up Christmas turkey.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 661kcal
Ingredients
- 140 g of Spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 175 g of Leek sliced
- 75 g of Mushrooms sliced
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 150 g of Leftover cooked turkey shredded
- 40 g of Parmesan grated
- 60 g of Spinach
- 100 ml of Crème fraîche
- 1 tablespoon of Wholegrain mustard
- 50 ml of Pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Cook 140 g of Spaghetti in a large pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions, usually 10-12 minutes.Before draining, reserve 50ml of the pasta cooking water.
- Cook the veg: While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of Olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add 175 g of Leek (sliced), 75 g of Mushrooms (sliced) and 2 Garlic cloves (crushed), and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the turkey: Reduce the heat slightly and add 150 g of Leftover cooked turkey (shredded) and 40 g of Parmesan (grated). Stir gently to combine.
- Make the sauce: Add 60 g of Spinach, 100 ml of Crème fraîche, 1 tablespoon of Wholegrain mustard, 50 ml of Pasta water, ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper.Stir gently over a low to medium heat until the spinach has wilted, the sauce is creamy and the turkey is steaming hot throughout. Avoid boiling the sauce vigorously.
- Mix it all together: Add the drained spaghetti to the turkey mixture and toss until everything is coated in the creamy sauce.
- Serve: Add another small splash of pasta water if needed, then serve immediately with extra Parmesan and black pepper.
Notes
- Cook the pasta and sauce at the same time. This is how you get dinner on the table in 15 minutes.
- Use fresh tagliatelle to save time. It cooks in just a few minutes, making this an even quicker meal.
- Don't skip the pasta water. It helps create a silky sauce that coats the pasta. Start with the 50ml in the recipe and add a little more if needed.
- Keep the heat gentle. Once the crème fraîche and Parmesan are added, avoid boiling the sauce, which can cause it to split or become grainy.
- Don't overcook the turkey. It's already cooked, so it only needs heating until steaming hot throughout. This helps prevent it becoming dry.
- Add a little heat. A pinch of chilli flakes is delicious sprinkled over the finished pasta.
- Finish with extra flavour. Add freshly cracked black pepper, extra Parmesan or a small drizzle of olive oil before serving.
- Fancy a pasta bake instead? Transfer the pasta to an ovenproof dish during the same cooking session, add a little extra cheese and finish in the oven until bubbling and piping hot. For a proper baked version, try our leftover turkey pasta bake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 661kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1147mg | Potassium: 893mg | Fibre: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4764IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 407mg | Iron: 5mg
See this recipe on the site by scanning this QR code:
