Use your leftover roast turkey to make this tasty pasta salad. We like to make a quick and easy honey and mustard dressing to toss together with the pasta salad ingredients.
This is a quick and easy recipe that is ready in under 15 minutes.
We like to make up a big bowl of this pasta salad to enjoy on Boxing Day, or during that weird time between Christmas and New Year. We all snuggle down in front of the television to watch Christmas movies whilst enjoying our honey and mustard turkey pasta salad.
Not only are we using up the leftover turkey but we also get to add some fresh veggies.
This is leftover food at it’s best! Delicious and healthy.
What is Honey and Mustard Turkey Pasta Salad?
Honey and mustard turkey pasta salad is a pasta base using penne pasta, tossed together with shredded leftover turkey, cherry tomatoes, red onion and fresh basil. The dressing is a simple mixture of mayonnaise, clear honey, dijon mustard, and a dash of water. All finished with a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. That’s it! Nice and simple and hopefully you have most of those ingredients in your store cupboard.
What does this turkey pasta salad taste like?
The honey and mustard dressing gives the pasta salad a great combination of sweetness and spice. The mayonnaise gives it a comforting creaminess which beautifully coasts the turkey and the pasta.
The red onion gives a much-needed sharpness to cut through the creaminess. The cherry tomatoes add freshness and sweetness. All finishing off with the basil which gives loves aromaticness to the salad.
What to serve turkey pasta salad with?
We often serve the turkey salad up on its own in big pasta bowls. Depending on how much turkey you have you could double up the recipe and make a large turkey pasta salad for a buffet or pot luck party.
As it is a cold dish it’s easy to transport in a container.
We think this pasta salad tastes best when you keep in the refrigerator for a few hours, or even overnight, so the flavours really marinate.
Can I change any of the ingredients?
The turkey can very easily be switched to leftover roast chicken if you prefer. Also, it doesn’t need to be leftover meat. You can cook up some chicken breast to chop up and add to the pasta.
Of course, the pasta can be switched to another short-cut style such as fusilli, conchiglie, or farfalle.
The dijon mustard can be substituted for wholegrain mustard or even English mustard. Just remember English mustard is a strong flavour so adjust to taste.
Can I adjust the measurements?
As with all leftover dishes you might want to increase or decrease the volume of ingredients depending on what you have available or how many you are feeding.
For the turkey pasta salad, we try to allow around 100g of both pasta and meat per person.
HONEY AND MUSTARD TURKEY PASTA SALAD (SERVES 4)
INGREDIENTS
- 400g Penne Pasta
- 8 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 4 Tsp Dijon Mustard
- 4 Tsp Clear Honey
- 6 Tbsp Water (approx.)
- 400g Cooked Turkey, torn or shredded into bitesize pieces
- 1/4 Red Onion, finely sliced
- 10-12 Fresh Basil Leaves, roughly torn or shredded
- 10-12 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- Pinch of Maldon Sea Salt (to taste)
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
METHOD
- Cook the pasta for 8-9 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
- Make the dressing by whisking together mayonnaise, mustard and honey. Add a little water to loosen the mixture and whisk until well combined. Aim for a loose but not runny consistency.
- Put the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and pour over the dressing. Toss together until everything is combine.
- Tip all of the other ingredients into a large salad bowl and toss together with the dressing mixture.
- Season with a generous amount of Maldon sea salt and pepper before serving.
Easy Honey and Mustard Turkey Pasta Salad
Use your leftover roast turkey to make this tasty pasta salad. We like to make a quick and easy honey and mustard dressing to toss together with the pasta salad ingredients.
Ingredients
- 400g Penne Pasta
- 8 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 4 Tsp Dijon Mustard
- 4 Tsp Clear Honey
- 6 Tbsp Water (approx.)
- 400g Cooked Turkey, torn or shredded into bitesize pieces
- 1/4 Red Onion, finely sliced
- 10-12 Fresh Basil Leaves, roughly torn or shredded
- 10-12 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- Pinch of Maldon Sea Salt (to taste)
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta for 8-9 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
- Make the dressing by whisking together mayonnaise, mustard and honey. Add a little water to loosen the mixture and whisk until well combined. Aim for a loose but not runny consistency.
- Put the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and pour over the dressing. Toss together until everything is
- Tip all of the other ingredients into a large salad bowl and toss together with the dressing mixture.
- Season with a generous amount of Maldon sea salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
This pasta salad also works well with cooked chicken.
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