Turkey Bow Tie Skillet

My week with the kids. Detroit thaw. The streets full of potholes the size of sinks. Tuesday was a long shift — second-shift overlap on a build target. Cleared it.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Pulled chicken Saturday — slow-roasted thighs, BBQ sauce, sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls.

Aiden's 10. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 8. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

I went to bed Sunday at 10. Slept eight hours. The body said thank you.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

The block had a small drama Tuesday. Somebody parked in front of Ms. Diane's driveway. Ms. Diane addressed it directly. The car moved within the hour. The neighborhood polices itself on small things.

Aiden had practice Tuesday and Thursday. I drove. He shot threes for an hour after.

Drove past Jefferson North on Tuesday. The plant is still the plant. The trucks coming out. I waved at the gate guard out of habit. He waved back even though he didn't know me. The plant is its own neighborhood.

I cleaned the smoker Sunday morning. Brushed the grates. Emptied the ash. Wiped down the body. The smoker repays attention. So does most everything that matters.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

Mama left me a voicemail Wednesday. She said, "DeShawn. Don't forget Sunday." I had not forgotten Sunday. I have not forgotten Sunday in twenty years. The reminder is the love. I called her back.

A reader wrote in about the smothered pork chops. Said her late husband loved them. I wrote back. I told her about Pop. We exchanged three emails. She's in Saginaw. She's coming to the city in the spring.

I read for an hour Sunday night. A book about the auto industry. Half memoir, half history. Made me think about Pop and the line and the fragile contract that built the middle of this country. I underlined the parts that hit.

Filled the propane tank Wednesday. The smoker is the only appliance I baby. Wiped it down. Checked the gaskets. Checked the temperature gauge. The smoker is mine the way Pop's torque wrench was his.

Pop sat in the recliner Sunday. He fell asleep before the third quarter. We covered him with a blanket.

I took a walk around the block Sunday morning. The neighborhood was quiet. The trees were the trees. The light was good. I waved at three porches. The porches waved back. Brookline holds.

A neighbor down the street gave me a tomato plant Saturday. He grows them on his porch. Said he had extra. I put it next to the back step where it gets the afternoon sun. Detroit gardens are improvised victories.

A catering inquiry came in this week — fifty-person family reunion. Booked. Saturday after next.

Plant ran clean this week. The line ran. The body held. The paycheck is the paycheck.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

Truck needed an oil change Saturday. Did it myself in the driveway. Took an hour. The neighbor across the street gave me a thumbs-up from his porch. I gave him one back. Detroit men do not waste words on car maintenance.

Saturday’s pulled chicken on Hawaiian rolls was its own kind of perfect — slow, smoky, intentional — but most weeks the smoker stays covered and you need something fast that still feeds Aiden and Zaria the right way. This turkey bow tie skillet is that dish: one pan, real flavor, done before the third quarter. Zaria can stand on her step stool and stir it. That’s the whole recipe right there.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey
2 cups bow tie (farfalle) pasta, uncooked
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for topping

Instructions

Brown the turkey. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart, until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
Build the base. Add onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Season it right. Sprinkle in smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat the meat and vegetables evenly.
Add liquids and pasta. Pour in diced tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and chicken broth. Stir to combine, then add the dry bow tie pasta directly to the pan. Press the pasta down so it is mostly submerged.
Simmer covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Top with shredded cheddar, cover for 2 minutes to melt, then serve straight from the skillet.

Nutrition (per serving)

Turkey Bow Tie Skillet — When the Smoker’s Done and the Week Finally Exhales