Turkey Fettuccine Skillet

Four years today. September 14th, 2016, the phone call, the floor. Four years since then. I went to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Worth like I do every year, sunflowers again, and I sat with her for a long time in the September morning light and talked to her the way I talk to her, which is out loud because she would have hated anything less direct.

I told her about the pandemic first because she would have had opinions. She would have been furious at how it was being handled and she would have found a way to make it funny and she would have organized something, some kind of mutual aid or a fundraiser, because Jess was always the one who did things when other people talked about doing things. I told her I was getting married next June. I told her she would have been my maid of honor and she would have given a speech that made everyone uncomfortable and I would have loved every second of it. That last part made me cry in the way that smiling and crying happen at the same time.

Ryan made dinner when I got home — pasta with a simple tomato sauce from scratch, the kind his grandmother made, he said. Wide noodles, San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, a long simmer. The apartment smelled like someone was taking care of things. He said I did not have to talk. I talked anyway, eventually, because he is the person I talk to. He listened the way he always does: completely, without advice, without fixing. Just there. I told him about what Cathy had said on the phone, about Jess saying I showed up. He said she was right. He would know.

I cried in the shower before bed, which is my private ritual on this day, and then I slept well for the first time all week. September 15th. Another year carried. Another year she would have had. I count them for both of us.

Ryan’s grandmother’s pasta is the reason I’m sharing this recipe today — not because I made it, but because someone made it for me when I couldn’t have made anything at all. What he put on the table that night was close to this: wide fettuccine, a long-simmered sauce built on San Marzano tomatoes and garlic, something that smelled like intention and steadiness. A Turkey Fettuccine Skillet is humble on paper, but on a day like September 14th, it was the most specific act of love I can imagine. If you have someone in your life who needs a meal that asks nothing of them, this is the one to make.

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

Ingredients

12 oz fettuccine
1 lb ground turkey
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 can (28 oz) San Marzano crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup reserved pasta water
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
Brown the turkey. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same skillet. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Simmer the sauce. Pour in the San Marzano crushed tomatoes. Add oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce deepens in color and thickens slightly.
Combine. Return the browned turkey to the skillet and stir into the sauce. Add the cooked fettuccine and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time to loosen the sauce as needed.
Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide among bowls and top with additional Parmesan and fresh herbs.

Nutrition (per serving)

Turkey Fettuccine Skillet — The Night Someone Took Care of Things