Creamy Lemon Cavatappi with Turkey
plus Lemony Breadcrumbs
- Wheat
- Milk
Are you a lemon lover? Then this is your dish! You'll toss together springy cavatappi pasta with hearty ground pork and sweet green peas in a creamy sauce brightened with lemon juice and zest. Each plate is showered with buttery, lemony panko breadcrumbs for crunchy contrast.
Ingredients
10 ounce
Ground Turkey
½ ounce
Vidalia Onion Paste
6 ounce
Cavatappi Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
4 ounce
Peas
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Lemon
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
Zest and quarter lemon.
Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (1½ cups for 4 servings), then drain.
While pasta cooks, melt 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 3-5 minutes.
Turn off heat; transfer to a small bowl. Stir in as much lemon zest as you like. Season with salt and pepper. Wipe out pan.
Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for panko over medium-high heat. Add pork* and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
Swap in turkey* for pork.
Reduce heat under pan with pork to medium low; stir in peas, Vidalia onion paste, cream sauce base, and ¼ cup pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4 servings). (TIP: If pasta isn't finished cooking yet, ladle pasta cooking water straight from the pot.) Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes.
Turn off heat; stir in drained cavatappi and juice from one lemon wedge (two wedges for 4) (if needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is coated in a creamy sauce). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add another squeeze of lemon juice if desired.
Divide pasta between shallow bowls. Top with lemony breadcrumbs and serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Some found it bland; consider adding garlic, onion, or red pepper flakes for more complexity 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Straightforward and simple to prepare, with clear instructions for a quick meal.
- Suggestions: Try adding cheese for extra richness, or swap breadcrumbs for Parmesan to boost flavor.
- Portions: The pasta-to-sauce ratio was off for some; consider increasing the sauce for a creamier dish.
Reviews from our home cooks
Maybe it was my own human error, but the recipe was slightly confusing. Step 2 of the recipe card said to save 1&1/2 cups of the pasta water, however the finishing step only said to use 1/2 a cup. And the lemons were quartered but only 2 wedges were used.
This really needs some flavor...maybe parmesan instead of bread crumbs, add some red pepper flakes, change the vegetable or add another vegetable to give it a more complex flavor profile. Honestly, this was the blandest meal I've gotten from you.
Could use a little more sauce to make it creamer, but taste is good.
I don't normally eat pasta, but had this one and it was quite good.
All items were fresh, arrived on time of day, and came out well. Thank You.
