Pat Henson in Alabama sent me this one. Her husband’s niece made it while they were visiting family in Ohio. Pat was in the Writers Guild when she lived here in Florida, and we email back and forth regularly. We talk about writing and food.

Turkey Tetrazzini

salt for cooking water

1 lb fettucine (linguine, spaghetti) broken in half

6 T olive oil
10 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 medium onions, slices
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c flour
2 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 c half-and-half
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
4 c cooked turkey, cut in bite-size pieces

 

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in salt and pasta, cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with 1 T olive oil. Leave in colander and set aside.

2. Heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Cook until they have released their juices and are brown around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the onions and cook about 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and cayenne; cook about 30 seconds.

4. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute.

5. Slowly whisk in the broth and half-and-half. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

6. Remove from the heat; whisk in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Add the pasta and turkey to the sauce; stir to combine. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish

 

Bake at 400° until the topping has browned and the sauce is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.