Gordon Ramsay's 10-Minute Turkey Pasta Is A Weeknight Hero

Few things are quite as intimidating as the weeknight meal, and when it's your turn to cook, it can be tempting to just throw a pizza in the oven and toss a bagged salad together. And while we certainly believe that has its place in the nightly dinner rotation, why not try something hearty, savory, and easy that you can be proud of? That's where Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute turkey pasta dish comes in handy. 

"Let's be honest," says Ramsay at the top of his instructional YouTube video, "Pasta is definitely a big midweek staple in the Ramsay household." Though Ramsay isn't the internet's most trusted authority on pasta — he offended The Pasta Queen with his carbonara recipe, and there's an essential pasta rule Ramsay always ignores — it's hard not to appreciate this quick and easy turkey pasta dish. Going far beyond the standard jarred sauce you may be used to, the main ingredients also include alliums like leeks and garlic, plus flavorful additions like lemon, chili, sage, and a bit of cream. But what really makes this dinner a knockout is the cooking techniques Ramsay employs to get the most flavor out of each ingredient. 

Midweek pasta dishes can often be one-note — just a bit of sauce piled atop spaghetti. But that's not the case with Ramsay's pasta. Using ground turkey adds lean yet hearty protein to the dish and doesn't require much time to defrost, marinate, or pre-season. Ramsay also uses both leeks and shallots, members of the allium family, to create a light vegetable base with multiple sources of heat and sweetness. 

The other way Ramsay makes this weeknight pasta stand out is by making toasted sage breadcrumbs. You may be tempted to skip this step, but the crumbs add a delightfully crispy texture that adds complexity to the overall dish. In fact, breadcrumbs are an easy way to make practically all of your pasta dinners more special.

If you don't have Ramsay's incredibly fast knife skills, there are a few ways to make this dish even breezier to prep — so you're not still slicing your garlic while your leeks burn in the pan. First, chop all of your veggies ahead of time and begin sautéing before getting your pasta water fully boiling. That way, your turkey will be almost cooked when it's time to drop your pasta in. You could even toast the breadcrumbs a day in advance to cut back on dishes; store them in an airtight container until it's time for them to shine. Just work at your own pace, and this weeknight dinner duty will feel nice and relaxed.