This Creamy Leftover Turkey Pasta transforms leftover turkey into something truly delicious! With crispy bacon and a rich Parmesan cream sauce, it’s the ultimate comforting lunch or dinner.
There’s something so satisfying about turning leftover turkey into a meal you’d happily make from scratch. This is hands down one of the most delicious ways to use up turkey after Thanksgiving or Christmas, especially if you’re craving something rich and comforting. Follow me…
Ingredient Notes
Nothing too fancy going on here, just a handful of simple ingredients that come together to make something truly delicious. The full list of ingredients/quantities is in the recipe card below, but here are a few things worth mentioning first:
- Turkey – You can use leftover breast or thigh meat, shredded or diced.
- Bacon – I love adding bacon for a boost of rich, salty flavour. It also pairs perfectly with the turkey itself.
- Sauce – Double cream (UK) / heavy cream (US) gives the sauce its rich, creamy consistency. I also use chicken stock to loosen things up and add extra flavour.
- Parmesan – Adds a gorgeous savoury depth to the sauce. I recommend freshly grating it yourself so it melts smoothly.
- Spinach – Adds a pop of colour and a little freshness to balance out the richness. This is optional, so you can leave it out if you’d prefer.
Absolutely! In fact, I have made this plenty of times with chicken, and it works perfectly.
How to make Creamy Turkey Pasta
There’s nothing worse than spending hours in the kitchen, the day after you’ve already done exactly that. Thankfully, this recipe comes together with ease. I’ve also got a couple of tips to help you along the way:
- Bacon Fat – After you’ve removed the cooked bacon, keep all the excess fat in the pan. This is perfect for frying the shallots and garlic and adds heaps of bonus flavour.
- Pasta Water – I recommend using tongs to transfer the pasta straight from the pot into the pan of sauce. That way you can easily use the leftover pasta water for loosening the sauce if it gets too thick. This is especially helpful once you’ve tossed everything together.
Process shots: fry the bacon then remove it from the pan (photo 1), fry the shallots and garlic in the leftover fat (photo 2), add stock (photo 3), simmer cream, parmesan and Dijon (photo 4), toss in pasta, turkey and bacon (photo 5), toss in the spinach (photo 6).
Serving Suggestions
This is a pretty hearty dish, so you certainly don’t need anything on the side. Having said that, Garlic Bread is always welcome! One thing I do recommend is serving it right away – the sauce thickens up more as it rests, and quite quickly too.
If you’re after something even quicker and easier, check out my Easy Pesto Turkey Pasta!
For more delicious ways to use up leftover turkey, check out these beauties too:
- Leftover Turkey Tacos
- Leftover Turkey Boursin Bakes
- Leftover Turkey Curry
- Leftover Turkey Grilled Cheese
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this creamy turkey pasta shall we?!
Full Recipe and Video
Creamy Leftover Turkey Pasta
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
- Large Pot & Tongs (for cooking pasta)
Ingredients
- 4oz / 120g Bacon, diced
- 10.5oz / 300g Linguine, or other long-cut pasta
- 2 Shallots, finely diced
- 3 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
- 3/4 cup / 180ml Chicken Stock
- 1 cup / 240ml Heavy/Double Cream
- 1/2 cup / 40g freshly grated Parmesan, plus more to serve if desired
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 9-10oz / 250-300g Leftover Cooked Turkey, roughly shredded (see notes)
- large handful of Spinach (~2oz/60g – see notes)
- Salt & Black Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large, deep pan with the heat off. Turn the heat to medium and fry the bacon until crisp with the fat rendered out. Remove the bacon and place to one side, leaving the excess fat in the pan.
- At this point you can put the pasta in salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Don't drain.
- Add the shallots to the leftover bacon fat and fry until soft and golden, then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds or so longer. Add the stock, cream, Dijon and parmesan and give it a good stir until the parmesan melts into the sauce.
- Simmer, stirring frequently, for around 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if desired.
- Turn the heat to low, then use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta straight from the pot into the sauce. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce. Add the turkey and bacon and continue tossing until the sauce begins to thicken and cling to the pasta and the turkey is piping hot. Add the spinach and toss until it begins to wilt. If at any point the sauce dries up too much, just toss in a splash of leftover pasta water to thin it out.
- Serve up with extra parmesan if desired, then tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
