One Skillet Creamy Italian Wild Turkey Tortellini

Take a break from your boring weeknight rotation and swap in this recipe that’s anything but boring! This delicious one skillet meat is packed with seasoned wild turkey chunks, cheese tortellini sun dried tomatoes, and spinach while smothered in a cream sauce thats out of this world.

To make this recipe, we’ll first need to mix together our spice mixture. You’ll need onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and of course, a little salt and pepper. Half of this mixture will be used to season directly onto the wild turkey chunks and the other half will be used to season our sauce. Making this recipe is pretty straight forward, well start by browning the turkey pieces in batches then set them aside while we cook down our onions. After we deglaze the pan we can add back in the wild turkey to cook it all the way though. As it’s cooking, we’ll add sun dried tomatoes, tortellini, spinach and cream in stages. Then we’re left with a delicious meal that the family is going to love!

FAQ:

• Can I swap out wild turkey meat for another meat? Yes! You can use virtually any upland bird including pheasant, quail, chukar, etc. You could even use something more commercially available like chicken! Just note that the cooking times will vary with meats of different sizes.
• Do I have to use sun dried tomatoes? Nope, you can completely dismiss them or swap for cherry tomatoes.

Tips for Cooking with Wild Turkey:

• The biggest complaint about wild turkey that I hear is that it’s though. I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be. Most people who complain about it being tough are overcooking it. When cooked properly, it can be almost as tender as chicken. When cooking with wild game, I always recommend using a meat thermometer. Do not cook the wild turkey past 165 degrees F.
• Take your time when trimming and cleaning the bird. Remove any fat you see.  These birds have a jellylike fat layer, referred to as the sponge, attached to the front edge of the breast. This needs to be completely removed.

Italian Wild Turkey Tortellini Skillet

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A delicious weeknight one skillet meal filled with seasoned wild turkey, tortellini, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach smothered in a delicious cream sauce.

• Author: Jenn Homa

Ingredients

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil, Divided
• 1 Wild Turkey Breast
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder 
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika (can swap for Regular)
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt 
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes (Optional)
• 1 Onion, Diced 
• 1 tbsp Minced Garlic 
• 3/4 cup Chicken Broth
• ½ cup Julienned Sun Dried Tomatoes 
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 lb skillet ready fresh Cheese Tortellini
• 2 cups packed Baby Spinach
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Parsley, to garnish (Optional)

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder , paprika and red pepper flakes. Mix well to combine.  
2. Cut wild turkey breast into 1 inch cubes. Place into a bowl and season with half of the seasoning mix and stir to combine.  
3. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add in one tablespoon of oil. Once oil is warmed, add in wild turkey and cook it until it’s browned on two sides. You will likely need to do this in two batches. Remove from the pan and set onto a plate
4. In the now empty skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil then add in diced onion. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add in garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds 
5. Stir in the broth to deglaze the pan. Use your spatula to scrape up the brown bits off of the bottom. Then add back in the wild turkey and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes 
6. Stir in the heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes and the remaining seasoning mixture and bring to a simmer again. Once simmer, allow to simmer for 5 more minutes. 
7. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium low then add in tortellini and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted and tortellini and wild turkey is fully cooked. Be careful to not overcook the wild turkey as it will become tough. 
8. Mix in Parmesan then serve warm with additional Parmesan over top. Garnish with fresh parsley