My Turkey Pesto Pasta recipe takes only 30 minutes to make, and uses leftover turkey, pesto, spaghetti, and other vegetables to transform into an Italian-American easy dinner!
I don’t know about you but when I make a big holiday meal I want to stretch the turkey leftovers as far as possible. This means transforming leftovers and re-inventing them so your family and friends don’t get tired of eating essentially the same foods over and over again! My easy recipe for Turkey Pesto Pasta does just that. By using the leftover turkey I create a delicious and filling pasta dinner in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Turkey
- Spaghetti Pasta
- Olive oil
- Salted butter
- Garlic
- Frozen peas
- Pesto
- Smoked sun-dried tomatoes
- Shredded turkey cooked
- Spinach chopped
- Parmesan cheese
- Reserved pasta water
How to Make Turkey Pesto Pasta
- Cook spaghetti according to package. Cook it 2 minutes less than required. Make sure to RESERVE 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Once cooked, set to the side until needed.
- In a large skillet heat olive oil, butter, and garlic on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Then add frozen peas and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes until peas are defrosted.
- Then add the pesto, 2 cups cooked turkey to the skillet as well as ½ cup of reserved pasta water. Stir until incorporated then add pasta and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and if needed add the remaining pasta water to the skillet. Serve pasta and garnish with additional parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
FAQs
This recipe serves about 6 adult portions.
I typically always have pesto frozen in my freezer, I will freeze small portions for future use. Then cook into a warm skillet until thawed! Perfect for tossing in with pasta!
Leftover turkey is good for 3-4 days. I typically love to make this dinner two nights after making turkey. It gives a whole new flavor profile to the leftover turkey.
Tips & Tricks
Here are all my tips and tricks when transforming my leftover turkey into pesto pasta dinner.
- Garnish – I love to use fresh chiffonade basil and more Parmesan cheese for garnish.
- Turkey – If you don’t have leftover turkey on hand you can use cooked ground turkey. Simply cook the ground turkey before the garlic.
- Pesto – You can use fresh, freshly frozen that you thaw, or even a store bought pesto.
- Pasta Water – I love to use pasta water to help thin my sauces whenever I toss the pasta with a thick sauce like pesto. I always reserve pasta water just in case I want to thin out my sauce but yet keep it flavorful.
Pesto Recipes
Love pesto? Try these other pesto recipes!
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Turkey Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- Stove Top
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Spaghetti Pasta
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Salted butter
- 1 Garlic clove thinly sliced
- 1 cup Frozen peas
- ½ cup Pesto
- ¼ cup Smoked sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 cups Shredded turkey cooked
- 1 cup Spinach chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 cup Reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti according to package. Cook it 2 minutes less than required. Make sure to RESERVE 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Once cooked, set to the side until needed.
- In a large skillet heat olive oil, butter, and garlic on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Then add frozen peas and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes until peas are defrosted.
- Then add the pesto, 2 cups cooked turkey to the skillet as well as ½ cup of reserved pasta water. Stir until incorporated then add pasta and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and if needed add the remaining pasta water to the skillet. Serve pasta and garnish with additional parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Notes
- Garnish – I love to use fresh chiffonade basil and more Parmesan cheese for garnish.
- Turkey – If you don’t have leftover turkey on hand you can use cooked ground turkey. Simply cook the ground turkey before the garlic.
- Pesto – You can use fresh, freshly frozen that you thaw, or even a store bought pesto.
Nutrition
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Irma
Made this for dinner tonight. I didn’t have sundried tomatoes on hand, but I did have a jar of pimentoes, so I substituted them. I also didn’t see mention of spinach in the directions, so I sauteed them quickly and threw them in towards the end. I sprinkled garlic and herb blend on top. It was a great meal, and easy to alter. Thanks!
Katie
Hi Irma! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment/feedback. I’ll go back in and make an edit about the spinach! Great pasta dish–and super easy to make (and alter just like you said)!
Peggy
Just wondering why you listed spinach in the ingredients but didn’t use it n the receipt?
Cassie | Bake Your Day
This looks so good! I’m a fool for pesto!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen
Nice! I use Dreamfieled too. This is a gorgeous dish!