This is a great time to dig through the freezer and see what you have. I did just that the other day and I found a turkey I was fortunate enough to harvest with my bow last fall. I thought about the usual recipes to prepare the bird, but wanted to try something different. This cajun chicken recipe was adapted for turkey and now is one of the family faves. I found out a long time ago that my hunting excursions seem to be much more well-received when I come up with a recipe like this wild cajun turkey pasta recipe. Let’s get started with a great wild game recipe that is sure to be a big hit with family and friends.
Ingredients
- 1 box uncooked linguine
- 2 pounds wild turkey breast
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 small green bell pepper
- 1 small red bell pepper
- 8 oz package fresh mushrooms
- 2 green onions
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Cajun seasoning
- Salt
Preparing The Turkey
Wild turkey breast is great for many recipes. It can be substituted with chicken recipes. This is a cooked wild turkey cajun pasta recipe. It calls for the turkey breast to be removed from the bone. There’s no need to get fancy with deboning just get the meat off the best you can. Cut the meat into strips about a half inch wide then cut the strips into bite size chunks. This step is personal choice depending on your bite size but I prefer to keep the cuts a little on the smaller side to help keep plenty of meat with every helping. If you like a lot of meat with each serving then you can add a second turkey breast or I have even added a chicken breast or two when I need more to feed a large group.
Once you have the turkey breast cut into bite size morsels rinse the meat and lay out onto cutting board or plate. Dab the meat with a paper towel. This removes excess water but leaves the meat damp. This is important as it helps to hold the cajun seasoning on the turkey while it cooks. Sprinkle your favorite cajun seasoning over the damp meat. I didn’t put a quantity in the ingredient list. Where one person is fine with a ¼ teaspoon another might want a ¼ cup. I like to sprinkle the meat liberally with cajun spices and let it sit while the skillet is prepared by preheating the butter.
Now sear the meat as quick as possible without scorching your butter. This step will brown the turkey breast and while helping to keep the spices attached to the meat it also seals in the juices and helps prevent your turkey from becoming dry. The main purpose of this step is to get a good brown on the meat and not to necessarily cook it completely so don’t worry about the internal temperature because in the final step you will cook all the ingredients more. Remove the turkey and set aside.
Preparing The Vegetables
With the turkey seared and set aside, add the vegetables to the skillet. You might want to add a little more butter at this stage. Saute’ the vegetables for several minutes until cooked. I add more cajun seasoning at this point just so it all will marry well together in the skillet at the end. Set the vegetables aside until the sauce is ready.
Preparing the Sauce For Wild Turkey Pasta
The sauce is super simple just add half-and-half to skillet and bring to a simmer. Now add garlic powder, dried basil, lemon pepper and salt. You can add the turkey to the vegetables and prepare the sauce with them but I prefer to simmer it for a few minutes. Taste test the sauce as it cooks just in case you want to add something like more salt or seasoning. Once you have your sauce just right add the turkey and vegetables and simmer while you prepare the linguini.
Preparing The Wild Turkey Cajun Pasta
The recipe calls out for linguini but you can use whatever pasta you like. I have used fettuccine as well as just plain old spaghetti, its all good. I usually set the pot of water on the stove and get the water hot so it is ready to accept the pasta quickly. You can cook the pasta while you prepare the other ingredients but I like to cook it while the turkey and vegetables simmer in the sauce. This also allows me to keep an eye on the pasta and remove it from the water at the best time. You don’t want overcooked pasta in any recipe so we need to remove the pasta before it’s completely cooked. The pasta will cook further after it is added to the sauce. Drain the pasta now.
Bring it all together
Now it is time to bring your dish together. Slowly introduce the pasta to your sauce stirring as you go. Adding the pasta slowly allows you to mix the ingredients and thoroughly coat the pasta with sauce. Cover the skillet and simmer on low for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the temperature to even out and fully cook the pasta before serving. If everyone in your group prefers a lot of cajun taste you can sprinkle the top with more spices if not then you can add it to individual servings. Serve with garlic breadsticks or Texas toast and you have a great meal and made not only more room in your freezer but a darn good reason to prepare for another spring gobbler.
Be the first to comment