(Updated 11/2023)

Thanksgiving at my house has always been a wonderful occasion. Even though it is an American tradition, my mother managed to add an Italian flavor to it by including a pasta dish, along with the typical side dishes of cranberry sauce, regular potatoes, and baked sweet potatoes. Although she is long gone, we still keep up the tradition.

She would cook the stuffing the night before but still put it in the raw turkey on Thanksgiving so that it would absorb all the juices of the turkey as it roasted in the oven. I know everyone says not to stuff the raw turkey because you can get sick from the bacteria, but I am still here and still making the turkey the same way she always did!

The stuffing is made with chicken gizzards which sounds odd but, trust me, it is very tasty. I also add some dried salami cut up into little cubes, but that can be left out if you feel it is too overpowering. The amounts used in this recipe are approximate. I don’t usually measure the ingredients, I go by what looks good. And don’t forget to always wash your hands with warm water and soap after handling any raw poultry, including the gizzards.

If you are using a frozen turkey, thaw it slowly in the refrigerator to reduce shrinkage. This can take approximately 24 hours per 5 lbs. Always use a smaller sized turkey because the smaller ones are younger and so the meat is more tender and juicy, and never use a pre-basted turkey. Before placing the turkey in the oven, cover it with bacon strips and lemon slices to give it that extra zing. (I love to eat the crispy bacon as soon as the turkey comes out of the oven!) Do not cover it with aluminum foil because it will create steam and you will not get a crispy outer skin, and never roast it in an oven less than 325°.

It takes around 3 to 4 hours to roast a 10 to 12 lb. turkey, or about 20 minutes per 1 lb. You know it’s ready when the thermometer that comes embedded in the turkey pops out, or if using a regular thermometer, the temperature should be greater than 180°.

The regular potatoes are added to the roasting pan after the turkey starts to brown. These potatoes are then served with the pasta. Yes, it is a very starchy meal, but it is so good that I would rather eat the pasta than the turkey!

Serves about 10 people
Ingredients
10 to 12 lb turkey
stuffing
10 potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise
2 jars of Heinz or Franco-American turkey gravy
paprika
7 to 8 bacon slices
1 lemon, sliced
2 c white wine (or beer), approximately
1 box of medium shell pasta (You can make more than one box but then you will fill up on pasta and not eat anything else, which is what happens to me!)

For the stuffing:
3 1/2 to 4 lbs of chicken gizzards
olive oil
4 to 6 small cloves of garlic
1 onion, chopped
dried oregano
dried thyme
3 c breadcrumbs, approximately
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
dried salami, small cubes, to taste
olives, black or green, pitted, to taste
1 tsp capers
sweet peppercorns, according to taste
salt, to taste
The night before:

1. Rinse the chicken gizzards and either cook in a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes to 1/2 hour, or boil in a large pot for about 1 hour until tender. Save some of the broth.
2. Cut up the gizzards into small pieces.
3. In a large pan, cover the bottom with olive oil and sauté the garlic; add the gizzards and sauté for another 5 minutes.
4. Shut the heat off and remove from stove.
5. Add remaining ingredients, with enough breadcrumbs so that it is not too dry and not too moist. If it is too dry, add some of the broth that you reserved, making sure not to add too much because if it is too wet, it will be like mud when it is cooked in the turkey.

For the turkey:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Rinse the turkey and sprinkle salt and paprika all over it. Spoon the stuffing into the turkey.
3. Tie the legs with string and tuck the wings under the turkey. Place in a roasting pan with a little bit of olive oil on the bottom of the pan.
4. Place bacon strips and lemon slices over the turkey (above photo).
5. Place in preheated oven uncovered. When you see that the turkey and juices are sizzling, reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
6. After about 1 1/2 hours in the oven, when the turkey has some color, add the potatoes, gravy, and 1 cup of white wine. If the gravy starts to get dry, add more white wine, but no more than 2 cups total. You can add the leftover broth from the chicken gizzards or water after that. Baste the turkey with the gravy every once in a while so that it doesn’t dry up and burn.
7. When the embedded thermometer pops out, the turkey is done. You can also stick a thermometer in the thigh and check that it is over 180°, making sure that the thermometer does not touch the bone because bone is a good conductor of heat and the temperature will be higher than the meat itself. Another way to tell it’s done is if the drumstick can be pulled away from the rest of the turkey.
   

   Roasted Turkey

8. Remove the turkey from the oven and let stand for about 20 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving. In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.
9. Place the turkey on a plate large enough to accommodate the size of the turkey. Remove some of the potatoes that are still whole, and some of the gravy and drippings and set aside to serve with the turkey.
10. Mix the cooked pasta with the remaining broken up potatoes and gravy in the roasting pan. Add more gravy or potatoes, depending on your taste, and serve.