Chicken Parmesan Tetrazzini
A Classic Retro recipe that is worth bringing back to your table. Don’t let the name fool you, though it is a pasta dish with Parmesan cheese, its flavors are American pleasers!
It sounds Italian, doesn’t it - Tetrazzini - like it should be the name of a Piazza in Rome. But alas, it isn’t, though Italians surely must enjoy it as much as the American who created it. It is said to have been invented by the very un-Italian, Ernest Arbogast, the chef at the Palace Hotel In San Francisco, around 1910, but was made famous by the chef, also not Italian, Louis Paquet. However, the combo of pasta, a cream sauce and Parmesan cheese convinced the American palette that is was worthy of eating, whatever the name was and it became a popular dish from that time forward. And the name….it was the name of an Italian opera star, Luisa Tetrazzini who had caught the creator’s notice, while performing in the U.S.
No universal standard recipe for the dish exists, so various ingredients are missing or substituted in different recipes, for example, a different kind of crumb or other cheeses might be used. Other recipes may substitute canned cream soups as a base. The name is often expanded to describe the specific meat used (e.g., Chicken Tetrazzini, or Tuna Tetrazzini. Turkey Tetrazzini is a great way to use the holiday bird leftovers).
This version is an easy, home-style, pasta dish, with the several Italian touches of Parmesan cheese, pasta and cream. The chunks of tender chicken, herbaceous green pepper, subtle shallot and the garnish of nread crumbs and toasted almonds, give just enough sophistication to make this the star of your meal for family and friends or as a dish on a brunch or buffet table.
chicken parmesan tetrazzini
1 - 8 ounce package dry spaghetti or fettucine noodles
1 ½ cups cooked shredded turkey or chicken
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups turkey or chicken broth
1 cup finely grated, parmesan cheese, divided in half
1 cup heavy or light cream
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup sliced almonds
¾ cup dry bread crumbs tossed in 2 tablespoons melted butter
2 - 3 tablespoons freshly parsley, chopped
-Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
-Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the same saucepan and saute the shallot and green pepper over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally.
-Stir the flour into the butter, vegetable mixture in the pot then whisk and stir for 1 minute until smooth. Add broth, cream, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, until thickened and bubbly, stirring frequently, 8 - 10 minutes. Stir in half of the parmesan cheese until smooth. Add chicken and mushrooms and stir well. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if needed. Remove from heat.
-Meanwhile cook pasta in boiling, salted water until just tender. Rinse under hot running water and drain well. Place pasta in a large mixing bowl.
-Pour the chicken cream sauce over the cooked pasta, add the parsley, then stir until well combined. Place in a lightly buttered casserole dish. Garnish with almonds and buttered bread crumbs, then sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly.
-Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.
Tender noodles and chicken in a creamy Parmesan sauce!
