Turkey Alfredo

5 from 2 votes

This delicious Turkey Alfredo perfectly represents holiday-time comfort! It's a rich, hearty, and delicious take on the classic Italian-American comfort food staple. Use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey to create this easy, super cozy, and crowd-pleasing Turkey Alfredo!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 590

Author Jessica Kwon

Ingredients

8-10 oz pasta I used fettucine
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ onion diced; about ½ cup
4-5 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Tiny pinch of nutmeg
1 cup whole milk warmed
¾ cup low sodium turkey or chicken broth warmed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups cooked turkey cubed, sliced, or shredded
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Continue with the sauce while the pasta's cooking.
In a large wide pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion along with a pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes or until edges start to get translucent. Then stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
Add flour and whisk well, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
Gradually whisk in milk, followed by the broth, until there are no lumps. Season with nutmeg and an additional pinch of salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and let simmer until the pasta is ready.
Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the al dente pasta to the sauce, along with a ladle of starchy pasta water. Add Parmesan cheese and frozen peas, stirring well until pasta is evenly coated. Add more pasta water until you reach your desired sauce consistency.
Top or stir in the cooked turkey and season to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes

I use fettuccine for this recipe, but any pasta will do. Since we're using starchy pasta water in the sauce, I recommend grain-based pasta like conventional (white flour), whole wheat, or brown rice. Alternatives like chickpea or lentil pasta won't hold up as well.
Use high quality Parmesan cheese in this recipe. Refrigerated tubs of grated cheese or blocks of Parmigiano Reggiano work best. Avoid the shelf-stable green plastic jars - they have a lot of preservatives and fillers which prevent them from melting completely.
Feel free to use heavy cream or half and half instead of whole milk.
If you don't have leftover turkey, use rotisserie chicken or cook 1-2 chicken breasts beforehand.

Nutrition