Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe (2024)

By Laura

Posted Nov 20, 2022, Updated Feb 15, 2024

5 from 3 votes

1 Comment

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This turkey tetrazzini recipe is a delicious way to use up leftover roast turkey from the holidays. Spaghetti, turkey broccoli and cheese are tossed in a from-scratch sauce (no canned soups), and baked until bubbly.

Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe (2)

We often find ourselves with lots of leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and after a few meals I try to find new ways to use it – like this turkey tetrazzini recipe (and of course, turkey pot pie and the best turkey cranberry sandwich).

This turkey tetrazzini includes a rich & cheesy from-scratch sauce, which means no canned soup! It’s a hearty main dish that your whole family will love, and a nice change of pace from eating Thanksgiving leftovers for every meal.

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Turkey Tetrazzini: Ingredients & Substitutions

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  • Spaghetti. We use regular spaghetti noodles but really any shape of pasta works well in this recipe. I also have used chickpea pasta (gluten-free) with great results.
  • Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too.
  • Minced garlic. Fresh or jarred are great choices.
  • All-purpose flour. Gluten-free all-purpose flour works well.
  • Chicken broth. If you have homemade turkey broth from your leftovers definitely use it in this recipe.
  • Whole milk. You need 2 cups of liquid dairy. Half and half is a great substitute for whole milk. Or you can use 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream.
  • Broccoli. I use frozen broccoli because it’s easy. Fresh broccoli cut in small pieces works well too. If you don’t love broccoli you can substitute your favorite vegetable(s) or simply omit it.
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How to Make Turkey Tetrazzini

We’ll walk through how to make turkey tetrazzini step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin this recipe by cooking the spaghetti. First, break the spaghetti noodles in half.

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Then, cook the noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Drain and set aside in a large bowl but do not rinse.

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Make the sauce

While the spaghetti is cooking, make the sauce. Begin by melting butter in a large stockpot.

Then, add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft (about 4 minutes).

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Next, add the flour, sea salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Then, cook for 30-60 seconds until the mixture starts bubbling.

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Then, add chicken broth (or turkey broth), whole milk and Italian seasoning, whisk to combine, and cook until the mixture just starts to thicken (it will boil).

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Once the mixture is thickened, whisk in 1 cup parmesan cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese until melted.

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Assemble

Turn off the heat, and add the spaghetti, broccoli and turkey to the sauce and stir to combine.

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Combine the topping ingredients in a medium bowl.

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Then, pour the turkey tetrazzini mixture into the prepared 9×13″ baking dish and evenly spread the mixture over the top of the tetrazzini in the pan.

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Bake

Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.

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Serve

Serve warm with a garnish of fresh parsley (if desired). The great thing about this turkey tetrazzini is that it’s a full meal on is own.

Sometimes we like to serve it with some homemade bread (homemade french bread, no knead bread, or homemade dinner rolls) and a green salad like this kale salad or burrata salad.

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Store/Freeze

Store leftover turkey tetrazzini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

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Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe FAQs

What is Turkey Tetrazzini made of?

This recipe includes a homemade sauce made of milk, cheese, butter, & spices, as well as leftover turkey, broccoli and spaghetti.

Can I halve this recipe?

Yes, to make a smaller amount halve the ingredients and bake in a 9×9″ or 8×8″ pan.

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Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe (19)

Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe (20)

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Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe

Laura

This turkey tetrazzini recipe is a delicious way to use up leftover roast turkey from the holidays. Spaghetti, turkey broccoli and cheese are tossed in a from-scratch sauce (no canned soups), and baked until bubbly.

5 from 3 votes

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 16 servings

Calories 286

Prep Time20 minutes minutes

Cook Time30 minutes minutes

Total Time50 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13” baking dish.

  • Break spaghetti noodles in half, then cooking according to package instructions in salted water. Drain and set aside in a large bowl but do not rinse.

  • While spaghetti is cooking, make the sauce.

  • In a large stockpot melt butter.

  • Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft (about 4 minutes).

  • Add flour, sea salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Cook for 30-60 seconds until mixture starts bubbling.

  • Add chicken broth, whole milk and Italian seasoning and whisk to combine. Cook until the mixture just starts to thicken (it will boil).

  • Whisk in 1 cup parmesan cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese until melted.

  • Turn off the heat, and add the spaghetti, broccoli and turkey to the sauce and stir to combine.

  • Pour the tetrazzini mixture into the prepared 9×13” baking dish.

  • Combine 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup parmesan cheese and ¼ cup breadcrumbs in a medium bowl.

  • Evenly spread the mixture over the top of the tetrazzini in the pan.

  • Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Spaghetti. We use regular spaghetti noodles but really any shape of pasta works well in this recipe. I also have used chickpea pasta (gluten-free) with great results.
  • Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too.
  • Minced garlic. Fresh or jarred are great choices.
  • All-purpose flour. Gluten-free all-purpose flour works well.
  • Chicken broth. If you have homemade turkey broth from your leftovers definitely use it in this recipe.
  • Whole milk. You need 2 cups of liquid dairy. Half and half is a great substitute for whole milk. Or you can use 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream.
  • Broccoli. I use frozen broccoli because it’s easy. Fresh broccoli cut in small pieces works well too. If you don’t love broccoli you can substitute your favorite vegetable(s) or simply omit it.

Store/Freeze

Store leftover turkey tetrazzini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 544mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

Try these recipes

Roast Turkey Recipe

Turkey Cranberry Sandwich

Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Healthy Turkey Chili Recipe

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Healthy Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is tetrazzini sauce made of? ›

The basis of Tetrazzini sauce is a béchamel sauce. While a basic béchamel is made with just butter, flour and milk, for Tetrazzini, we dial up the deliciousness by adding chicken stock (for flavour), cream (for richness) and cheese (a good thing in anything!).

Why is it called turkey tetrazzini? ›

In the early years of the 20th century, when the Italian opera star Luisa Tetrazzini was singing to adoring crowds in San Francisco and New York, some enterprising chef got the idea of making an insanely rich pasta dish and naming it for her.

What ethnicity is tetrazzini? ›

Tetrazzini is an Italian-American dish made with diced poultry or seafood and in a butter, cream or milk and cheese sauce flavored with sherry or white wine, and combined with linguine, spaghetti, egg noodles, or other types of pasta, sometimes topped with breadcrumbs or cheese, and garnished with parsley or basil.

What is the meaning of tetrazzini? ›

Tetrazzini in American English

(ˌtetrəˈzini, Italian ˌtetʀɑːtˈtsini) adjective. (often lc) served over pasta with a cream sauce, often flavored with sherry, sprinkled with cheese, and browned in the oven.

What is the difference between Ala King and tetrazzini? ›

It turns out the difference is that Chicken Tetrazzini has cheese in it and Chicken à la King does not. In the 1950s, you would open a can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, a package of frozen peas, carrots, a can of sliced mushrooms, some Velveeta cheese, and chicken or turkey and voila...an abomination!

What is pasta and tomato sauce called? ›

Pasta Pomodoro, or Pasta al Pomodoro as it's called in Italy, is a simple yet delicious dish of spaghetti or rigatoni tossed with a rich, basil-infused tomato sauce.

What is spatch cooked turkey? ›

Spatchco*cking is a non-gimmicky way to get you to perfectly cooked turkey—fast. Also known as butterflying, the technique involves removing the backbone and flattening the bird for cooking.

Why is it called Turducken? ›

A "turducken" is a layered product especially popular during the holidays. The "turducken" is a deboned stuffed chicken inside a deboned stuffed duck inside a deboned stuffed turkey. The name is comprised of syllables from the words "turkey," "duck," and "chicken."

How do you use tetrazzini in a sentence? ›

The restaurant was full of people enjoying a plate of turkey tetrazzini. Turkey tetrazzini is a great way of using up leftover turkey.

Who is tetrazzini named after? ›

Tetrazzini is a baked pasta dish purportedly named after the Italian opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini. Despite its symphonious name, it's actually mid-century American, not Italian. The turkey should have been a giveaway… It's made with pantry staples and lends itself to all sorts of variations.

Where is Cacciatore from? ›

While many regions of Italy claim ownership over this humble dish, which literally means “hunter's style chicken,” it originated in Tuscany. Every family has their own “classic” version of this dish. It is also a dish that found popularity in America, where bell peppers, mushrooms, sage, and basil found their way in.

How do you say turkey Tetrazzini? ›

Pronounced teh-trah-ZEE-nee, Turkey tetrazzini is an adaptation of chicken tetrazzini, which is said to have been named after the famous opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini.

What is the slang word for pasta? ›

A quick spin through UrbanDictionary.com for the word "pasta" turned up a few very different definitions. One was for pasta as it's colloquially known: food. Another definition of pasta was marijuana, one says it means alcohol, and one claims it's a code word for sex.

What does ziti mean in Italian? ›

zi·​ti ˈzēt-ē plural ziti. : medium-sized tube-shaped pasta. Etymology. Italian, plural of zito "a piece of tubular pasta," probably short for maccheroni di zita, literally, "bride's macaroni"

What is a chunky pasta sauce called? ›

Marinara sauce isn't simmered at length, so it has a chunky, watery texture that's different from other types of pasta sauce.

What is traditional pasta sauce made of? ›

A classic pasta sauce crafted with vine-ripened tomatoes and well-storied passion. Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Salt, Olive Oil, Sugar, Dehydrated Onions, Dehydrated Garlic, Spices, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder.

What is cream sauce pasta made of? ›

Truth is all you need is cream, freshly grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt. Some recipes include milk or flour. This will lower the calories in the dish but will also reduce flavour.

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