Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Turkey Pasta Carbonara
Turkey and bacon make a creamy bowl of spaghetti especially appealing, with peas adding little sweet bites among the strands. The sauce has a savory gravy flavor beneath the Parmesan. It's a generous dinner to settle into, especially with a little extra cheese on top.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Pork · Turkey
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Crisp the bacon
Brown the chopped bacon until crisp, then lift it out with a slotted spoon to drain.
2. Soften onion in the fat
Cook the minced onion in the remaining bacon fat before adding the garlic for its shorter cook.
3. Thicken before adding pasta
Let the gravy and cream simmer until just thickened before stirring in Parmesan and seasoning.
Get to know the ingredients
Turkey
Use cooked diced turkey so it only needs heating through as it tosses with the pasta.
Peas
Thaw the frozen peas before they join the cooked spaghetti, turkey and bacon in the sauce.
Parmesan
Grate Parmesan for the sauce and reserve extra if you want more over the finished bowls.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 8 steps completeMake room for Turkey Pasta Carbonara
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Parsley and extra Parmesan
Scatter chopped parsley over the tossed pasta and add extra Parmesan if desired before serving.
A little more help as you go
Drain before combining
Drain the spaghetti before adding it to the thickened sauce with turkey, peas and bacon.
Keep bacon crisp until mixing
Hold the bacon on paper towels while you make the sauce, adding it back with the pasta.
A few questions you might have
Does this sauce contain egg?
This turkey version combines gravy, cream and Parmesan for its sauce without an egg addition.
When does the turkey go in?
Add it with the drained pasta, thawed peas and cooked bacon once the sauce is ready.
Which gravy is specified?
The recipe uses prepared turkey gravy from the carton, simmered with cream before adding Parmesan.
Do I add cheese before the cream simmers?
Simmer the cream and gravy first, then stir in the Parmesan after the mixture thickens slightly.
Can I cook the spaghetti while making the sauce?
Begin boiling the spaghetti according to its package, then prepare the bacon and sauce before draining.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
