Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey gone rustic.

On Thanksgiving eve as the leftovers at were mounting into a Texas sized load I wondered what I would whip the turkey into, save a sandwich or two. Sure, nothing beats the first Turkey sandwich but the trick is to re-mix, re-style & re-make Turkey giving it new excitement. My first suggestion was met with a resounding "NO"! I had some South of the Border ideas; however, that concept was unpopular since we live in...well, Mexico!! I mean, when in Rome~I do! When at home, I have to stretch the mind a little more. So digging through the stateside pantry I located a can of artichoke hearts, a few shallots & red bell pepper. The Turkey in question a rough version of a Rustica Pasta dish. The turkey leftovers at our house now? Well, I have two wings & some stuffing. Problem solved until the next big holiday meal~I could have bigger problems I realize. This is a problem I enjoy solving. Buen Provecho!
























Turkey Rustica
3 cups turkey breast meat, cubed or sliced
16 oz. penne pasta, cooked (reserve 1 cup pasta liquid)
1 red bell pepper, roasted, seeded & sliced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
1 chopped shallot
4 slices of bacon or pancetta, sliced in 1/2 in. slices, or chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard,
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary,
6 fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
1/4cup white wine
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups cream
6 Tbsp. bread crumbs

Cook bacon in skillet till browned, add garlic, shallots. Saute till translucent then add the cooked turkey, heat thoroughly. Stir in white wine, artichoke quarters, roasted red pepper & Dijon mustard (except paprika). Once the wine simmers add in the cream slowly, heat slowly, add in the Parmesan cheese. As the mixture heats. Stir until the sauce is thickened slightly, careful not to bring to a boil. Pour turkey, vegetables & sauce over the cooked penne pasta. At this point the reserved pasta liquid can be used to thin the sauce out as needed. The organic Parmesan cheese I used made the sauce slightly thicker so it was thinned with the pasta liquid. Pour the pasta & turkey mixture into a greased 1 1/2 qt. casserole. Top with bread crumbs & sprinkle with paprika & heat @ 350 for 20 min. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary, serves 6.