I love leftovers.  I guess there are those that don’t and that’s okay, but I think they are missing out on the possibility of change.  I love change.  With leftovers, you can change the turkey that didn’t make into the mouths of hungry holiday diners, into something else, like adding it to an Alfredo sauce with some peas.  Cook some pasta, al dente please, cut some good bread and grab a bottle of wine…you’re home free and oh yes, did I mention, easy, easy, easy.

Go back to the previous blog about Mother sauces and find the one on Béchamel which will explain exactly what to do for the sauce.  I made the sauce in a medium to thin consistency and to the butter, I added about 8 garlic cloves, which I sliced, and a good pinch of some dried lemon verbena from my garden.  I love lemon verbena.  It has a wonderfully lemony (duh!) aroma with a subtle lemon flavor and a grassy freshness.  Do consider growing some next summer.  But, I digress.  I made the sauce as directed, then at the very end,

I stirred in chunks of the leftover turkey and some thawed, frozen peas.  To thaw frozen peas, simply place the amount you’re going to use in a strainer and run under cold water until they thaw; it takes about 1 minute.  Drain the peas well and add them to the sauce.  Toss in a large pinch of salt (more than you might think–starches pull salt out of sauces.  If you don’t add enough salt, the sauce will taste flat), several good grinds of black pepper and if your little heart desires some heat, a small amount of chile flakes. 

Now throw in our perfectly al dente pasta, toss with the sauce and serve with good bread.  It really doesn’t get much simpler than that.  Pour some good red wine, white wine, if you must, and dine like a goddess!

 

 

 

What did you think that bread was for?  Now, just a bit of leftover crustless Pecan-Chocolate-Date pie with some bourbon-laced whipped cream for dessert…but that’s another post.