Turkey Pasta with Cranberry Cream Sauce
Leftover turkey? No problem! This quick & easy turkey pasta skillet with cranberry cream sauce has all your favorite holiday flavors rolled into one. It’s so totally different that they’ll never guess it’s leftovers!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 488kcal
Ingredients
- ¾ lb. your favorite pasta, such as spaghetti, rotini or shells cooked
- 6 pcs bacon cooked til crisp then crumbled
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ sweet onion chopped (about ⅔ cup)
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ cups fat-free half and half cream or whole milk
- ½ cup white wine such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
- 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 10 oz package frozen peas or 2 cups of leftover peas
- 3 cups cooked turkey or chicken chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- Garnish: sliced green onions, chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in colander and set aside.
- Fry bacon in large 12” oven-safe skillet until crisp. Remove from pan to paper towel to cool.
- Add onion, bell pepper and minced garlic to bacon fat in skillet and saute for 5 minutes or until onion is soft.
- Whisk in half and half, wine, cranberry sauce, and seasonings. Stir well and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
- Add frozen peas, chopped turkey, and ¾ of the bacon, reserving remaining bacon for garnish. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, or until peas are cooked. Add pasta and stir well.
- Top with parmesan cheese and place under broiler until cheese is browned, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and garnish with remaining bacon and sliced green onions.
Notes
Prep Ahead of Time
If making ahead of time you can get to the step where you add the pasta & top with cheese. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, remove cover, place in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for about 30 minutes. You can place under the broiler for the last 5 minutes if you like your cheese browned.
VARIATIONS
- Change out the turkey for rotisserie chicken and this dinner goes from a holiday dinner to an everyday dinner.
- Turkey Spaghetti - use your favorite type of pasta from spaghetti to rotini to fusilli to linguine.
- Vegetables - This is a very versatile pasta dinner. If you happen to have some green beans, broccoli, or other vegetables from your big dinner, add those in place of the peas.
- Don't want to use wine? Try subbing in chicken or vegetable broth in its place.
- Want a richer turkey flavor? Substitute turkey gravy for some of the half and half.
Nutrition
Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 350mg | Potassium: 622mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 884IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 270mg | Iron: 2mg
