One of the strengths of a pasta like this is that it gives you a complete meal without a lot of components. The caserecce holds onto the sauce beautifully, the turkey adds substance, and the crème fraîche keeps the whole dish creamy without becoming too heavy. Spinach lightens the mood and brings that fresh green element every good pasta dinner needs.

The pine nuts are the finishing detail that earns their place; their warmth and slight crunch against the creamy pasta below makes each forkful more interesting than the one before. This is a two-serving pasta that comes together in about thirty minutes and tastes a little polished; often the sweet spot for cooking for two.

The pasta shape I used is caserecce/casarecce or strozzapreti and looks like a twisted roll. The stories that you can read about this pasta go like:

priests at the time this pasta was ‘invented’, loved it very much and would eat the pasta too quickly and choke on it,
local farmers’ wives would make this pasta to get into the good graces of the local clergymen. But the jealous farmers would wish for the pasta to choke the priests to death,
housewives who made Strozzapreti would twist the strips of dough, as if they were to strangle/choke a priest.

_{This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you. Please read my policy page.}

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

Key ingredient to make Caserecce with Turkey, Creme Fraiche & Spinach

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

Pasta – I used caserecce or casarecce, also called strozzapreti
Turkey breast
Spinach
Crème fraîche
Garlic
Roasted pine nuts – Check out this post and see how you can toast/roast pine nuts.
Oregano

Before you begin, this quick video shows the main steps and what to look for along the way.

How to Make Caserecce with Turkey, Crème Fraîche & Spinach

Step 1 – Wash the spinach. Cook the spinach until it is completely wilted and has turned bright green. Drain spinach in colander, chop it fine and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

Step 2 – Cut the turkey in small strips and season with salt, pepper and oregano.

Step 3 – Cook the pasta in salted water, according to directions on the packaging.

Step 4 – Heat butter in a skillet and add the turkey strips. Cook until almost done.

Step 5 – Add garlic, creme fraiche, spinach to the turkey and mix together.

Step 6 – Add drained pasta mix again. Divide over 2 bowls or plates. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

Divide over 2 bowls or plates. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

Close-up of Caserecce with Turkey, Creme Fraiche & Spinach

Alternatives and Substitutes

Caserecce pasta – any pasta shape can be used.
Turkey breast – or chicken breast is a good alternative of left-over turkey meat.
Creme fraiche – or sour cream. Creme fraiche and sour cream are very similar; sour cream contains some protein and thus doesn’t tolerate cooking very well; it curdles easier. Creme fraiche may be higher in fat, but its protein content is low, so no curdling problems in cooking. Sometimes the curdling does not matter, like in pancakes, so you could use either or. Creme fraiche has a creamy texture, but it is less tangy than sour cream. I prefer creme fraiche over sour cream in savory dishes, but I do use sour cream when I bake. Creme fraiche is unfortunately a little harder to find and more expensive than sour cream. Check out this post for other alternatives.
Garlic – use garlic paste instead.

Other Pasta Turkey Recipes to Try

Turkey Tenderloins with Apricot Pepper Sauce.

Caserecce with Turkey and Spinach Creme Fraiche

Print Recipe

No reviews