Description
Turkey Tetrazzini is a comforting baked pasta casserole featuring tender turkey, mushrooms, peas, and a creamy cheese sauce, all topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs. This hearty dish combines savory flavors with a luscious texture, perfect for using leftover turkey or chicken in a delicious family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 1/2 lb. thin spaghetti, broken in half
Sauce and Filling
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. white mushrooms, quartered
- 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup flour
- 4 cups turkey (or chicken) broth, plus more for thinning
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese
- 3 cups cooked turkey, shredded or diced
- 1 cup finely chopped black olives
- 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
- 4 slices bacon, fried and cut into bits
- 1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Topping
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the thin spaghetti until just shy of al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, rinse briefly with cold water to stop cooking, and set aside.
- Sauté aromatics and mushrooms: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the quartered mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cooking for several more minutes until the mushrooms are softened.
- Deglaze with wine and reduce: Pour in the white wine and cook with the mushrooms until the liquid reduces by half, intensifying the flavor and concentrating moisture.
- Create the roux and thicken: Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir continuously for about 1 minute to cook out raw flour taste. Slowly pour in the turkey broth while stirring to prevent lumps, cooking until the sauce thickens into a creamy consistency.
- Melt cream cheese and add fillings: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cut the cream cheese into small pieces and add to the pot, stirring occasionally until it begins to melt into the sauce. Then stir in the cooked turkey, chopped black olives, frozen peas, bacon bits, Monterey Jack cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Season with additional salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Combine pasta with sauce: Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Add extra broth if needed to loosen the mixture slightly, aiming for a moist but not soupy consistency, as some liquid will evaporate during baking.
- Assemble and bake: Transfer the mixture evenly into a large baking dish. Sprinkle the top with panko breadcrumbs for a crunchy topping. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the breadcrumbs turn golden brown.
Notes
- For best results, use leftover cooked turkey or chicken to add rich flavor and texture.
- If you prefer, you can substitute white wine with additional broth or a non-alcoholic white grape juice.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste after adding all ingredients, as the cheeses and bacon add saltiness.
- Panko breadcrumbs on top add a nice crunch—feel free to mix with a little melted butter for extra richness.
- This dish can be made ahead and baked later; just keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe (~1 cup)
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
