Turkey Tetrazzini
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Tetrazzini is an American pasta dish that includes a cream sauce, mushrooms, and either chicken, turkey, or seafood. It is thought to have been invented in San Francisco and named after the famous opera singer of the early 1900s, Luisa Tetrazzini, who lived there for many years.
To my mother however, Turkey Tetrazzini is just another way of saying turkey casserole. In her opinion casseroles are passé; she hasn't made one in twenty years. (Note to readers - my mother is anything but a snob, although she can sound like one at times. Note to my mother's friends - she loves your casseroles.) Fortunately, neither my father nor I could care less if something is "in" or "out"; all we care about is whether or not we like it (and by the way, mom used to make a wicked good tuna casserole). I made this for them the other night and judging by my dad's three servings, it passes with flying colors. It's a great way to use up turkey leftovers.
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
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Ingredients
- 12 oz egg noodles, spaghetti, linguini or other pasta
- 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 4-5 cups)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups of milk
- 1/4 cup cream
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup dry sherry, vermouth, or dry white wine
- 3 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey
- 1 cup cooked peas
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
- Salt and Pepper
Method
1 Cook the pasta according to the package directions, al dente; drain well and set aside. After you've started with the pasta, proceed to the next steps.
2 Preheat oven to 375°F.
3 Cook the mushrooms in 3 Tbsp of the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until all of the liquid they give off has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
4 In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of butter. Stir in the flour, and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes.
5 Gradually stir in the milk, cream, broth, and the wine or sherry. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.
6 In a large bowl combine well the pasta, the sauce, the mushrooms, the turkey, the peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan and the 1/3 cup of Swiss cheese, and transfer the mixture to a buttered shallow 3-quart casserole.
7 In a small bowl combine well the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan, the bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the Tetrazzini, and dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into bits.
8 Bake the Tetrazzini in the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the top is golden.
Serves 4 to 6.
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Hi Elise...I love Turkey Tetrazzini! I usually make the one from Cook's Illustrated, but I'll have to give yours a try- it sounds great.