top of page

Next-Day Turkey Bolognese Sauce


Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, so many of us have a refrigerator full of turkey leftovers. While I love turkey smothered in gravy with a side of whatever else might be leftover by now, I'm always craving pasta. I decided to merge the two and transform one of my favorite sauces and make Next-Day Turkey Bolognese Sauce. It's incredibly delicious, in fact, just as good as the original. I've added mushrooms to enhance the meaty flavor and am loving the finished product. So if you have a house full of overnight guests and an abundance of leftovers, this is the way to go. I promise you will be amazed just how incredible this dish is.


Ingredients for Next-Day Turkey Bolognese Sauce:


1 pound pasta, cooked according to the package instructions

2 cups chopped cooked turkey

1/4 cup chopped pancetta

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 10 ounce package of mushrooms, stems discarded and caps chopped

2/3 cup chopped onion

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth

1/2 cup turkey stock or chicken broth

1/2 cup whole milk

nutmeg

kosher salt

black pepper


Time-Saving Tip: The vegetables can be prepped in advance. I prefer to enjoy this sauce the day it's made however if you make it the day before you might have to add a little chicken broth to thin it out a little. Keep in mind that this is a thick sauce with not a lot of liquid.


Let's see what we need.


We're ready to cook.


Pour the can of tomatoes into a bowl. Using one of your hands gently squeeze the tomatoes and break them down into small pieces. I like to use kitchen gloves for this. Set aside.


Put the oil and butter in a pot. Once the butter is melted, add the onions and saute over low heat until translucent. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and celery. Saute the vegetables until they start to yellow; another 5 minutes or so. Add the turkey and pancetta; season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg; cook for five minutes. Add the wine and simmer until most of it has evaporated.


Pour in the tomatoes and chicken broth. Simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours, making sure to stir occasionally. The sauce will be thick. Add the milk and continue to simmer on low another 25-30 minutes.


Once the pasta is ready, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water to toss with pasta and sauce if needed; don't add all of the water at once.

It's ready! Thanksgiving leftovers never looked so good. Leftover Turkey Bolognese Sauce is so delicious that soon you'll be wishing you had leftover turkey all year round. Add a salad and a glass of wine, and this is a spectacular meal.

Enjoy!



Leftover Turkey Bolognese Sauce:

main dish


  • 1 pound pasta, cooked according to the package instructions

  • 2 cups chopped cooked turkey

  • 1/4 cup chopped pancetta

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 10 ounce package of mushrooms, stems discarded and caps chopped

  • 2/3 cup chopped onion

  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped

  • 1 celery stalk, chopped

  • 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes

  • 1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth

  • 1/2 cup turkey stock or chicken broth

  • 1/2 cup whole milk

  • nutmeg

  • kosher salt

  • black pepper

  • Put the oil and butter in a pot. Once the butter is melted, add the onions and saute over low heat until translucent. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and celery. Saute the vegetables until they start to yellow; another 5 minutes or so. Add the turkey and pancetta; season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg; cook for five minutes. Add the wine and simmer until most of it has evaporated.

  • Pour in the tomatoes and turkey broth. Simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours, making sure to stir occasionally. The sauce will be thick. Add the milk and continue to simmer on low another 25-30 minutes. Once the pasta is ready, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water to toss with pasta and sauce if needed; don't add all of the water at once.

  • Time-Saving Tip: The vegetables can be prepped in advance. I prefer to enjoy this sauce the day it's made however if you make it the day before you might have to add a little chicken broth to thin it out a little. Keep in mind that this is a thick sauce with not a lot of liquid.

Comments


bottom of page