From my cookbook… Dave’s Angel Hair Pasta Marinara with Leftover Turkey
This is the best possible recipe for leftover turkey. EVERYONE loves it!
There are over 300 recipes in my recently published cookbook, Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us (Click on the link in Note 1 to get your own copy). Even in these inflationary times, we can prepare delicious meals for our family and do so in a way that does not break the budget. And it’s all in the cookbook!
David Giustozzi’s Angel Hair Pasta Marinara with Leftover Turkey or Chicken
We had a big Thanksgiving at our home this year. Everyone in the family who could come was here. We smoked a turkey and a ham and had all the usual fixings like mashed potatoes, dressing, you name it. CJ smoked the meats and I have to tell you they were fantastic. To me, the ham was the star of the show. I’ve really been getting into smoked hams, and I guess I have CJ to thank for that. The past two I’ve had he made. The turkey was a winner, too. CJ spatchcocked it, and after a few hours of smoking, he took it out and slathered a softened butter mixture over the top and wrapped it in foil. When it was ready, we had a nice moist turkey and a wonderful base of turkey drippings and butter to make gravy with the cooked down neck, back, tail, and giblets he had made the night before.
So, like many of you, when we have a big Thanksgiving, we must figure out what to do with the leftovers. And, we always have lots of leftovers, don’t we? This year, I planned ahead and bought some Styrofoam takeout containers, and as we were putting away the leftovers, we just made up complete meals in each one. It was pretty cool that day, so we put them in the garage on top of the table saw, out of the warm house, and they stayed cool until everyone left.
Even with this, we still had leftover turkey. We’ve all seen many recipes on how to use up leftover turkey. Here is a different take that we all enjoyed, and I think you will like it too. You can also use leftover chicken, like from a rotisserie chicken you bought the day before. Or, if you are like my sister, she always buys two just so she has leftovers.
Ingredients
Tony Giustozzi’s marinara sauce (you can use your favorite jarred sauce if you would like)
Chopped up leftover turkey or chicken, about a pound
1 lb. Angel hair pasta
Grated Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Crushed red pepper, optional
Directions
Prepare the marinara sauce according to the recipe directions.
Ensure your turkey or chicken is chopped up into very small bites but not into shreds. If you want a little extra flavor, toss it in olive oil or spray it with Pam and place in a cookie sheet and broil it a bit until it just starts to crisp on the tips. Remove from broiler and set aside.
Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Note that angel hair pasta only takes about 4 minutes so things will move fast.
When the pasta is done, drain it into a colander that has been placed over a stock pot, so you retain the pasta liquid. Return the pasta to the original stock pot and add about a ¼ of the cooking liquid and stir with a pasta fork. As you are finishing up the sauce, occasionally stir the pasta and add liquid about ¼ cup at a time. The pasta will continue to absorb the liquid, and the water will keep it from sticking and drying out.
When the marinara sauce is finished, add the turkey or chicken and stir to incorporate. You may need to add a little water, about ¼ cup at a time as the turkey will absorb liquid from the sauce. Continue to cook until well incorporated and the meat is warm. Turn off heat.
To serve, place some pasta in a soup bowl and spoon some sauce over and mix well so that the pasta is completely coated with sauce.
Serve with David Giustozzi’s tossed garden salad and Gus Giustozzi’s sliced oven broiled sourdough toast. Pass the grated cheese and crushed red pepper. That’s all you need for a wonderful meal that will be sure to bring a smile to every diner’s face!
Angel Hair Pasta Marinara with Leftover Turkey
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Good eats, that’s what!
Call to Action
Show someone how much you love them by preparing a delicious meal for them. Later, enjoy the time and money you save by relishing your leftovers, either for lunch at work or dinner at home. Take comfort in knowing you are eating healthy food you prepared. All because you made a good decision to follow the recipes and tips in the cookbook I developed just for you.
Besides getting a copy of the cookbook for yourself, it makes an excellent gift for those you love and care for, especially for those with a young family who are looking to save time and money in the kitchen. And learn a few things in the process! What a great idea!
Recommended Resources
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi (Note 1).
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Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ