So, what to do with lean, thin turkey cutlets? Turn them into a fast turkey caprese using your air fryer. They're fast, they're healthy (well, sort of, not counting the cheese), and they're really, really good! The meal can be made in minutes and far faster than stopping for take out food. The turkey main dish cooks in about 10 minutes in the air fryer, and, to accompany it, a simple fettuccine takes about 15 minutes in a saucepan. While both are cooking, you can fix a vegetable or side salad accompaniment. Seriously, this is a fast dinner. How does it taste? The very lean turkey cooks up moist and delicious with the aid of the air fryer. Topped with melted fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, the main dish is satisfying and also fresh and light tasting. The fettuccine, similarly, takes on the taste of tomatoes, which go into the cooking water, and fresh basil, which you add at the last minute with a bit of Parmesan cheese. The end result is a company/restaurant worthy meal without the cost. Plus, unlike in (most) restaurants, you can eat your dinner in your fuzzy bathrobe if you want.
Turkey Caprese Dinner -- Serves 4
Turkey Cutlets
4 lean turkey cutlets about 1/4-inch thick (about 16 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon of Italian herb seasoning (or a mix of dried basil and oregano)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Olive oil
4 slices of fresh mozzarella, each about 1/4-inch thick and each large enough to cover
most of the turkey cutlet
1-2 tomatoes, sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Fettuccine
8 ounces of dried fettuccine noodles
2 cups of water
14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes with garlic, onions, basil, and oregano
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Tear off a small sheet of aluminum foil and fit it inside your air fryer basket. Spray the sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Pat the turkey cutlets dry with paper towels, and season the cutlets with the Italian herbs and salt on each side. Place two of the cutlets in the basket, spritz or drizzle them with olive oil, and cook them at 360 degrees for 5 minutes. Flip the cutlets over and cook them for a few minutes more. Place a slice of mozzarella on each cutlet and one or two slices of tomato. Spritz the cutlets/tomatoes with olive oil spray. Cook them for several minutes until the cheese has melted and the tomatoes are hot and oozing juice. Sprinkle on the basil and spritz or drizzle olive oil on top of the basil. Cook the remaining two cutlets the same way as the first two.
While the cutlets are cooking, bring the water, tomatoes, salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to a boil in a large saucepan. Break the fettuccine noodles in half and add them to the pot. Bring the pot back to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil, and cook the noodles, stirring them periodically and with the pot partially covered with a lid when you're not stirring, until the noodles are barely soft and most of the water (about 1/2 cup of water/liquid should remain in the pot to moisten the noodles) has been absorbed (if you've got too vigorous a boil going, you may need to add a little more water). Stir in the Parmesan and some fresh basil leaves (as many as you like). Serve the fettuccine with the turkey cutlets. Yum, yum, yum.
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