I. Love. Pasta. If there's ever a dish that includes noodles - I'm in. Tetrazzini is one of my all-time favorites. Why? Because it's easy to throw together, especially when you're in a pinch and you can practically throw whatever you have on hand together and come out with a delicious dish.
This week's Friday Feast, thaw out that turkey that's been nestled in your freezer and try this tasty recipe:
Turkey Tetrazzini
Ingredients:
1-1/2 pound Thin Spaghetti, Broken In Half
4 Tablespoons Butter
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 pound White Mushrooms, Quartered
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup White Wine
1/3 cup Flour
4 cups Turkey (or Chicken) Broth
1 block 8 Ounce Cream Cheese
3 cups Cooked (leftover) Turkey, Shredded Or Diced
1 cup Finely Chopped Black Olives
1-1/2 cup Frozen Green Peas
4 slices Bacon, Fried And Cut Into Bits
1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Extra Broth For Thinning
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Directions: Cook pasta until not quite done - al dente according to package instructions (it will finish cooking in the oven.) Drain, rinse, and set aside.
In a large pot, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms and salt, then saute for a couple more minutes. Pour in the wine and allow it to cook with the mushrooms for several minutes, or until the liquid reduces by half.
Sprinkle in flour, then stir the mushrooms around for another minute. Pour in the broth and stir, cooking for another few minutes until the roux thickens.
Reduce heat to medium low. Cut cream cheese into pieces and add it to the pot. Stir it to melt (don't be concerned if the cream cheese remains in little bits for awhile; it'll melt eventually!) Add the leftover turkey, the olives, the peas, the bacon, and the cheeses. Stir to combine, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Add the cooked spaghetti and stir it to combine. Splash in more broth as needed; you want the mixture to have a little extra moisture since it will cook off in the oven. If it's a little soupy, that's fine! Add up to 2 more cups of liquid if you think it needs it.
Pour the mixture into a large baking dish and sprinkle the top with Panko crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown.