Description
Ina Garten’s Turkey Tetrazzini brings comfort and elegance to leftover holiday turkey. Creamy pasta, tender poultry, and a golden breadcrumb topping create a luxurious casserole that delivers warmth and satisfaction in each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 3 cups of cooked turkey, shredded or diced
- 4 slices of bacon, fried and cut into bits
Main Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) of thin spaghetti, broken in half
- 1 pound (454 grams) of white mushrooms, quartered
- 1 cup of white wine
- 4 cups of turkey or chicken broth, plus extra for thinning
- 8 ounces (227 grams) of cream cheese
- 1 cup of finely chopped black olives
- 1 ½ cups of frozen green peas
Seasoning and Topping:
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon of salt, plus extra to taste
- ⅓ cup of flour
- 1 cup of grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 350°F (175°C), creating an ideal environment for baking the casserole.
- Cook thin spaghetti in salted water until slightly undercooked, as the pasta will continue to soften during baking.
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Introduce minced garlic and sauté until aromatic, releasing its fragrant essence.
- Add quartered mushrooms and a pinch of salt, cooking until they develop a rich golden color and release their moisture.
- Deglaze the pot with white wine, allowing the liquid to simmer and reduce by half, concentrating the flavors.
- Dust flour over the mushroom mixture, stirring continuously for one minute to eliminate the raw flour taste and create a thickening base.
- Slowly incorporate turkey broth, whisking consistently to develop a smooth, velvety sauce without any lumps.
- Reduce heat and introduce cream cheese cubes, stirring until they mostly melt, leaving small pockets of creamy goodness throughout the sauce.
- Fold in Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses, crispy bacon pieces, sliced black olives, green peas, and cooked turkey. Season with salt and pepper to enhance the overall flavor profile.
- Gently combine the partially cooked spaghetti with the sauce, ensuring each strand is thoroughly coated. If the mixture appears too dense, thin it with additional turkey broth.
- Transfer the creamy mixture to a large baking dish, creating an inviting base for the casserole.
- Sprinkle panko breadcrumbs across the surface for a delightful crispy texture.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the casserole bubbles enthusiastically and the breadcrumbs transform into a golden-brown crust.
- Allow the dish to rest for a few minutes, letting the flavors meld and intensify before serving.
Notes
- Transform mundane leftovers into an extraordinary culinary experience that brings excitement to your dinner table.
- Creamy cheese blend creates a luxurious sauce that melts perfectly and coats every single pasta morsel.
- Crispy panko topping adds an irresistible crunch that contrasts beautifully with the silky smooth underlying casserole.
- White wine introduces sophisticated depth, deglazing the pan and unlocking hidden layers of mushroom flavor.
- Versatile recipe welcomes creative substitutions, allowing home cooks to personalize the dish with available ingredients.
- Simplify meal preparation by assembling the casserole ahead of time, making weeknight dinners effortlessly delicious.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 547 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 730 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 72 mg