Delicious Turkey Tetrazzini combines tender chunks of turkey with spaghetti, diced vegetables, and a savory cream sauce. Such a satisfying dinner recipe!

Whether you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey stored away in the freezer or buy it from the deli, this creamy pasta dinner will surely satisfy.

I’ll admit, I’m not one to cook with turkey that often unless I’m making a huge Thanksgiving dinner. If I pair a meat with pasta, it’s usually a traditional bolognese sauce but I also like seafood in dishes like salmon fettucine or tuna casserole.

This recipe, however, paired all the comforts of a turkey dinner with a rich and flavorful cream sauce along with a fair amount of vegetables.

How to make this recipe:

First step is to cook the pasta. Be sure to reserve about a cup of the salted pasta water to thin your sauce later on.
Next you’ll cook the onions and mushrooms in butter on the stove (photo 1). Let them cook for a bit before you add the garlic to avoid burning the garlic.
Next you’ll sprinkle some flour on top and allow it to get brown and fragrant. This will create a roux and is what will thicken the sauce. Deglaze the pan with dry white wine.
Add the cream and broth at the same time (photo 2). Gently bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to allow it to thicken.
Combine all of the ingredients in an oven safe dish (photo 3), thin with pasta water if needed and stir to combine (photo 4), then bake.

Cooking tips:

Always boil pasta in salted water. It infuses great flavor into the pasta.
Be sure to under cook the pasta. You will finish cooking this meal in the oven, so boiling it to a very al dente state will allow it to not over cook and get mushy at the end.
To get the best sear on your mushrooms and onions, stir them as little as possible when they’re sauteing in the butter.
The peas can be frozen or thawed as they will heat through quickly once combined with all of the hot ingredients.
You might want to try adding more pasta water than you think you’ll need. It doesn’t dilute the flavor at all and keeps the entire pasta dish saucy and not dry.
Cut this recipe in half if you’re not feeding a giant crowd.
If you don’t have leftover turkey from a large holiday meal, simply buy a thick chunk of turkey breast from the deli and shred or chop it into small pieces.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon kosher salt
16 ounces spaghetti
4 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion (diced)
16 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
1 tablespoon herbes de provence
2 cups turkey (chopped)
1 cup peas
1 cup parmesan cheese (divided)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook spaghetti al dente according to package directions. When pasta is almost done (cooked enough to eat but still pretty firm), grab about a cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in large pan, and cook mushrooms and onions over medium high heat until lightly browned and softened. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 3-4 minutes until golden and fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan. It will quickly evaporate.
Add broth and cream all at once. Cook until thick & bubbly. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer so that it can thicken, stirring frequently. Add salt, pepper, and herbs.
Combine cooked spaghetti, turkey, peas, and about 3/4 of the parmesan cheese with the mushroom sauce. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan or large dutch oven. The pasta will absorb a lot of the sauce when it cooks, so add some of the pasta water to thin it out, if needed.
Cover and bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until hot & bubbly.

Notes

Cooking tips:

Always boil pasta in salted water. It infuses great flavor into the pasta.
Be sure to under cook the pasta. You will finish cooking this meal in the oven, so boiling it to a very al dente state will allow it to not over cook and get mushy at the end.
To get the best sear on your mushrooms and onions, stir them as little as possible when they're sauteing in the butter.
The peas can be frozen or thawed as they will heat through quickly once combined with all of the hot ingredients.
You might want to try adding more pasta water than you think you'll need. It doesn't dilute the flavor at all and keeps the entire pasta dish saucy and not dry.
Cut this recipe in half if you're not feeding a giant crowd.
If you don't have leftover turkey from a large holiday meal, simply buy a thick chunk of turkey breast from the deli and shred or chop it into small pieces.

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Comments

stephanie
January 30, 2020 at 8:27 pm

Such a great dinner choice, my whole family love it.
Katie
January 30, 2020 at 10:11 pm

So unique and delicious. We all loved it!
wilhelmina
January 31, 2020 at 7:28 am

This was such a great meal! We loved this one and will be making it often!
Rachael Yerkes
January 31, 2020 at 7:34 am

This is amazing! Love it!

Turkey Tetrazzini

Cooking tips: