This creamy leftover turkey pasta is a delicious and easy way to use up any leftover turkey from your holiday feast, Christmas or Thanksgiving.
The creamy tomato sauce combined with the tender leftover turkey creates a comforting and hearty meal that is ready in under 30 minutes and all made in one pot.
Why you will love this recipe
- It is a one-pot meal and a super easy dinner to make. It is a comforting dinner, perfect for a cold winter night.
- Protein-packed: Thanks to the turkey and fat-free garlic herb cream cheese, this pasta dish is packed with protein. Perfect for balancing out all the holiday treats, it's creamy without the extra calories.
- Budget-friendly and a way to reduce food waste: This recipe is a good way to use up any leftover vegetables and turkey you have left from the festive feast. You get to make a new dish and meal with what you already have on hand.
What you will need
Pasta
Cooked leftover turkey
Chopped tomatoes
Tomato paste
Cream cheese: I used low-fat garlic and herb cream cheese. Substitute with Boursin cheese.
Carrots
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Dried basil
Red chili flakes
Chicken stock
Salt and black pepper
Fresh parsley to garnish
How to make leftover turkey pasta
Saute the aromatics: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a dutch pot. Add diced onion and carrots and saute until the onion is soft and fragrant.
Make the sauce: Add in the tomato paste and chopped garlic, stir to combine, and cook for about a minute, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
Add chopped tomatoes and the cooked turkey, and add dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine and let it simmer for 3 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
Cook the pasta: Add the dried pasta and cover with chicken stock. Stir to combine and cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally so that the bottom does not stick.
Make it creamy: Stir in the cream cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Simmer for 3-5 minutes on low heat. Take the pasta off the heat, and don't worry; the sauce in the pasta thickens as it cools.
Serve and enjoy: Serve and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Watch how to make it
Tips
- To add some extra vegetables and nutrients, you can also throw in some vegetables you have in your fridge while sautéing the aromatics. Bell peppers, mushrooms or spinach will work well here.
- You can use any pasta you want for this recipe. Penne, rigatoni, or even spaghetti would work well.
- If you don't have leftover turkey, you can also use cooked chicken as a substitute.
How to store
I like to serve this creamy leftover turkey pasta on the day it is made while it is hot. That said, the pasta dish still makes a great leftover! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More easy pasta recipes you will love
Creamy Leftover Turkey Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g Pasta I used fusillata
- 1.1 lb cooked leftover turkey about 2 full cups
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 200 g cream cheese I used garlic and herb cream cheese. Substitute with Boursin cheese.
- 1 large carrot
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil sub with unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion just a little under 1 cup
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Red chili flakes as desired
- 800 ml chicken stock or as needed
- Salt and black pepper
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Saute the aromatics: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a dutch pot. Add diced onion and carrots and saute until the onion is soft and fragrant.
- Make the sauce: Add in the tomato paste and chopped garlic, stir to combine, and cook for about a minute, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
- Add chopped tomatoes, leftover turkey, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine and let it simmer for 3 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
- Cook the pasta: Add the dried pasta and cover with chicken stock. Stir to combine and cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally so that the bottom does not stick.
- Stir in the cream cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Simmer for 3-5 minutes on low heat. Take the pasta off the heat, and don't worry, the sauce in the pasta thickens as it cools.
- Serve and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- To add some extra vegetables and nutrients, you can also throw in some vegetables you have in your fridge while sautéing the aromatics. Bell peppers, mushrooms or spinach will work well here.
- You can use any pasta you want for this recipe. Penne, rigatoni, or even spaghetti would work well.
- If you don't have leftover turkey, you can also use cooked chicken as a substitute.
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
And there you have it, a simple and delicious creamy one pot pasta recipe you can make at home in no time. As always, if you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Kindly rate the recipe 5 stars and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save it to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox.
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