This creamy Tetrazzini recipe with mushrooms and peas is easy to make with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving or rotisserie chicken. With a rich parmesan cream sauce, this casserole is cold weather comfort food at its best!
2-3tablespoonsdry sherry(depending on how much you want to taste it)
⅛teaspoonground nutmeg
¾cupgrated Parmigiano Reggiano
¾cupfrozen peas
3cupsshredded cooked turkey breast
¼cupchopped Italian parsley, plus additional for garnish
12ouncesdry linguine or spaghetti, snapped in half
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Breadcrumb Topping
1tablespoonunsalted butter, melted
½cupunseasoned Panko breadcrumbs
¼cupgrated Parmigiano Reggiano
¼teaspoonfreshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
Prep
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 4.8-qt (13x9) casserole dish.
While making the Tetrazzini sauce (instructions follow), cook the pasta in a separate pot of salted boiling water just until al-dente. Drain well.
Make the Sauce and Assemble the Casserole
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, until foaming subsides. Add mushrooms with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cook until liquids are released and mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add onions or shallots and cook for about 3-4 more minutes, until mushrooms are beginning to brown. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Remove mixture from pan and set aside.
Melt 4 more tablespoons of butter in the empty pan. Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in broth/stock, milk, cream, sherry, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Continue cooking, whisking, until the sauce is smooth, glossy, and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Whisk in ¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano until smooth. Remove from heat and fold in sautéed mushrooms, peas, shredded turkey, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.*
Stir in the cooked pasta and pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Make the Breadcrumb Topping
In a bowl, stir together the melted butter, Panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly across the Tetrazzini.
Bake and Serve the Tetrazzini
Place casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, until the topping is toasted and sauce is bubbling. Watch the breadcrumbs, particularly around the 15-minute mark. If they're starting to brown too quickly, shield the top of the dish with a piece of foil.
Let the Tetrazzini stand for a few minutes after baking. Garnish with parsley and serve hot. The sauce will thicken significantly as it cools.
Video
Notes
*Salt content can vary by brand of store bought broth/stock. Readers using brands of stock that are on the saltier side will only need to add an extra pinch or two of kosher salt before baking. Those who use low sodium varieties (or a homemade recipe that doesn’t contain salt), will likely need to use a heavier hand so the sauce isn't bland. Taste the Tetrazzini before baking and adjust as needed.For ingredient substitutions and freezer instructions, see the FAQ's in the blog post above.