Turkey Parmigiana

This turkey parmigiana recipe was an experiment inspired by a chicken parmigiana recipe on the BBC Good Food website.   David suggested that we use the pack of turkey breasts steaks that were in the fridge, instead of defrosting chicken breasts from the freezer.   We were hopeful that it would turn out well and we weren't disappointed...in fact we were very impressed!  

The turkey breast steaks didn't need to be bashed like the chicken breasts are, as the thickness of them was already pretty even.  The other thing we changed was, rather than cooking the breaded turkey breast steaks in sunflower oil, David cooked them in olive oil instead.   They turned out beautifully golden and the end result was juicy turkey and a nice crisp coating.   The tomato sauce with the spaghetti was lovely and fresh and full of flavour with the garlic and oregano.   We decided to shred some fresh basil to add to the tomato sauce and to garnish, for some added colour and extra fresh flavour...delicious! 

This is pretty healthy recipe that we'll definitely be making again.  

Tips

• Both the breaded turkey and tomato sauce can be frozen for another day – see Freezer Instructions below.
• The recipe can easily be doubled if you need to serve more people.

Other Recipes

You might also like to try:

• chicken and turkey dishes
• pasta dishes

Ingredients

• 4 turkey breast steaks
• 50g plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 75g fresh breadcrumbs
• 15g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 125g ball mozzarella, cut into 4 slices
• 300g spaghetti
• small bunch of fresh basil, shredded, for the sauce and to garnish

For the tomato sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• pinch of caster sugar
• splash of red wine vinegar
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes, or passata
• 1 tsp dried oregano

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Instructions

1. Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with a little salt. Tip the egg into another dish, then the breadcrumbs and parmesan into a third dish, stirring to combine. Working with one turkey breast steak fillet at a time, coat in the flour, then dip into the beaten egg, and finally coat in the cheesy breadcrumb mixture. Transfer the breadcrumbed steaks to a plate as you go.  See freezer instructions below. 
2. To make the sauce, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan and sizzle the garlic for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and add a splash of the vinegar, then tip in the chopped tomatoes or passata. Add the oregano and approx 1 tbsp of the shredded basil, season and bubble for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.  See freezer instructions below. 
3. Heat 4 tbsp of olive oil a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the breadcrumbed turkey breast steaks for 3 minutes on each side (fresh or from frozen) until golden and crisp. Arrange them on a baking tray. Spoon a little of the sauce over the middle of each steak, and top each with a slice of mozzarella.
4. Heat the grill to high. Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions, then drain and toss with the remaining sauce. Grill the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes, or 1 to 2 minutes more if they’re from the freezer, until the mozzarella is melted and bubbling.   Garnish with the extra parmesan and shredded basil, then serve.

Freezer Instructions

• Breaded turkey breast steaks - stack the steaks in a freezer proof container between sheets of baking parchment. Will keep frozen for three months.
• Tomato sauce - leave to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer proof container (portion it into more than one, if you like). Will keep frozen for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a pan until piping hot.