TURKEY TETRAZZINI

Another request. This time for Turkey Tetrazzini. This is a great way to use lefover turkey from your Thanksgiving dinner. Or, if you want this at other times of the year, buy a turkey breast to cook yourself or ask your delicatessan to give you two pounds of turkey breast in a big hunk that you can then cube at home. Be sure to use the required quantity of chicken broth and be careful not to cook the tetrazzini too long. Otherwise, it may become dry. The great operatic diva, M. Tetrazzini, for whom this dish is named, would not be happy about that!

Tetrazzini is also great with leftover chicken. Using a shallow baking dish without a cover and cooking in a very hot oven will improve both texture and flavor. Don't skimp on the salt and pepper; this dish needs aggressive seasoning. If you want the dish even richer, add 1/2 to one cup of heavy cream to the sauce just before taking it off the heat.

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

serves 8



For the bread crumb topping

1/2 C fresh bread crumbs

pinch salt

1 1/2 T unsalted butter, melted

1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese

For the pasta

6 T unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish

8-oz white button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed and sliced thin

2 medium onions, chopped fine (or you could use 3 scallions, white part only)

salt and ground black pepper

12-oz spaghetti or other long-strand pasta, strands snapped in half

1/4 C all purpose flour

2 C low-sodium chicken broth

3 T dry sherry

1 1/2-oz (3/4 C) freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg

2 t lemon juice (from a real lemon!)

2 t minced fresh thyme leaves

2 C frozen peas, thawed

4 C cooked skinless, boneless turkey or chicken meat, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

For the topping

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the bread crumbs, salt and butter in a small baking dish; bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature and mix together with the parmesan in a small bowl. Set aside.

For the pasta

1. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Heat 2 tablesppons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the foaming subsides; add the mushrooms and onions and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and the liqud from the mushrooms evaporates, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water and stir to separate the noodles. Cook until al dente (or follow the directions on the box). Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the spaghetti and return it to the pot with the reserved liquid.

3. Melt the remaining 4 tablesppons butter in a clean skillet over medium heat. When the foam subsides, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add the chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium high and simmer until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the sherry, parmesan, nutmeg, lemon juice, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the sauce, sauteed mushrooms mixture, peas, and turkey to the cooked pasta and mix well; adjust the seasonings to taste.

4. Turn the mixutre into a buttered 13 x 9 inch baking dish (or other shallow ovenproof dish of similar size), sprinkle evenly with the reserved bread crubs, and bake until the crumbs brown and the mixture is bubbly, 13 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don't like peas, leave them out. You can also add 1/2 cup diced canned or bottled pimientos.