Boneless turkey-breast cutlets have almost no fat and cook quickly, making them an outstanding choice for healthy weeknight dinners. Unfortunately, no fat can mean no flavor.
This recipe for quick turkey puttanesca uses a simple pan-saute technique to cook the cutlets, but the cure for humdrum flavor is in a spicy tomato sauce made in the same pan.
Puttanesca is a traditional Italian pasta sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, capers, olives and spicy red-pepper flakes. And puttanesca has as lively as story as it does a flavor.
Originally from Naples, puttanesca roughly translates to "pasta the way a streetwalker would make it," the implication being fast enough to prepare between clients.
And fast is good, especially in combination with quick-cooking turkey cutlets, which can be bought fresh or frozen. They usually are offered as large slices from the main lobe of the breast, or as narrower pieces cut from the breast tenderloin. If you like, buy whole turkey tenderloin and slice it lengthwise to make your own cutlets.
Turkey-breast cutlets can be used in almost any recipe that calls for boneless chicken breasts, though you will need to reduce the cooking time because they can toughen and dry out quickly.
When prepping the ingredients for the sauce, be sure to rinse the capers thoroughly to wash off a lot of the salty brine.
A teaspoon of anchovy paste adds a bit more richness without adding much fat (or the fishy flavor you would expect), but it is optional. The paste is sold in tubes and can be found alongside the canned fish.
To soak up all the delicious sauce, serve turkey puttanesca with whole-grain pasta or a chunk of crusty bread.
Quick Turkey Puttanesca
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound turkey cutlets
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
¼ cup pitted and chopped green olives
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1. In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets through the flour mixture to coat both sides.
2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add cutlets and cook about 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned on the outside and no longer pink at the center. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Reduce the heat to low. Add remaining oil and the garlic to the skillet, stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano and red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, and serve spooned over the turkey cutlets.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information for one serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 252 calories; 83 calories from fat; 9 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 45 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 2 g fiber; 770 mg sodium.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement