Description
Ina Garten’s turkey tetrazzini brings comfort and elegance to weeknight dinners with its creamy, cheesy pasta layers. Sautéed mushrooms and tender turkey create a satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 to 3 cups leftover cooked turkey, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- ½ pound (226 grams) mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ½ pound (226 grams) linguine, cooked to al dente
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) butter, divided
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) flour
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Madeira wine
- 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F and thoroughly grease a 1-1/2-quart baking dish with butter, ensuring complete surface coverage.
- Mushroom Sauté: In a skillet, melt butter and sauté mushrooms until soft and moisture has evaporated. Deglaze with Madeira wine, reducing liquid completely.
- Sauce Base: Create a roux by melting butter and whisking in flour until smooth. Gradually integrate broth, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Simmer until sauce thickens to a luxurious consistency.
- Sauce Refinement: Remove from heat and incorporate heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to elevate flavor profile. Gently fold in diced turkey and mushrooms, ensuring uniform distribution.
- Layering: Construct alternating layers of linguine and sauce-meat mixture in the prepared baking dish, creating two distinct, even strata.
- Topping Preparation: Combine Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the dish’s surface. Dot with remaining butter to enhance browning and add rich depth.
- Baking: Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and golden-brown. Optional: Broil for 2-3 minutes to achieve a crisp, burnished topping, monitoring closely to prevent scorching.
Notes
- Prevent Mushroom Moisture: Sauté mushrooms quickly to release excess water, ensuring a rich, concentrated flavor without diluting the sauce.
- Roux Perfection: Whisk flour and butter thoroughly for 1 minute to eliminate raw flour taste and create a smooth, velvety base for the sauce.
- Layer Strategically: Alternate pasta and sauce layers carefully to distribute flavors evenly and prevent dry spots in the tetrazzini.
- Crispy Topping Technique: Watch closely during broiling to achieve a golden-brown crust without burning, adding textural contrast to the creamy dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg