I stole this recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini from a cookbook called Lidia’s Italy in America. This Italian pasta dish starts with cooked chicken that is chopped or shredded. Mushroom sauce is made next and mixed with linguine and broccoli. Everything is placed in a casserole dish. Bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese are mixed together and sprinkled on top. The Chicken Tetrazzini is finished by baking in the oven.
Did you know? Chicken Tetrazzini is named for the opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, this rich dish combined cooked spaghetti and strips of chicken with a sherry-Parmesan cheese cream sauce. Parmesan or breadcrumbs are sprinkled over the surface and the dish is baked until bubbly and golden brown.¹ (see more trivia in the Trivia tab)
Cook chicken so you would have 4 cups cubed. Or use leftover chicken from another recipe.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter 9×13 baking pan. Start boiling water for pasta. Slip ½ head chopped broccoli and 1lb linguine into boiling water. Cook until linguine is tender.
Heat 2 ½ cups chicken stock in small pot. Melt 3 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted, add 1 lb sliced mushrooms and season with ½ tsp salt. Cook mushrooms until browned, 3-4 minutes. Scrap into a bowl and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter butter and 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat, then stir in ¼ cup flour to make a paste. Cook and stir until light brown, then season with 1 tsp kosher salt.
Whisk in hot chicken stock, making sure to get out all the lumps.
Increase heat to medium and bring to simmer. Whisk in 3 cups milk and bring to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Drain broccoli and linguine well. Add shredded chicken, linguine and broccoli to sauce and stir until smooth and hot. Remove from heat, stir in ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Pour into prepared dish.
Mix together ½ cup grated cheese and ¼ cup dry breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over baking dish.
Place dish in oven and bake until the top is browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Serve warm.
Chicken Tetrazzini (Pollo Alla Tetrazzini)
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb white mushrooms sliced
- 6 sage leaves chopped
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups milk
- Fresh grated nutmeg
- ½ head broccoli broken in half
- 1 lb linguine broken in half
- 4 cups shredded or chopped leftover cooked chicken
- 1 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano
- ¼ cup dry bread crumbs
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter 9x13 baking pan. Start boiling water for pasta.
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Heat the chicken stock in small pot. Melt 3 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted, add the mushrooms and season with ½ tsp salt. Cook mushrooms until browned, 3-4 minutes. Add the sage and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Scrape into bowl.
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In same skillet, melt remaining butter and oil over medium-low heat, then stir in flour to make a paste. Cook and stir until light brown, then season with remaining salt. Whisk in hot chicken stock, making sure to get out all the lumps. Increase heat to medium and bring to simmer. Whisk in milk and nutmeg, bring to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
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Slip broccoli and linguine into boiling water. Cook until linguine is tender. Drain well. Add shredded chicken, linguine and broccoli to sauce and stir until smooth and hot. Remove from heat, stir in ½ cup grated cheese. Pour into prepared dish. Mix together remaining cheese and breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over baking dish. Place dish in oven and bake until the top is browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
You can omit the sage leaves. I use a bag of frozen broccoli florets instead of the fresh broccoli. The 9x13 was not big enough, I had to use an 11x17 baking pan; there was no way this was going to fit in a 9x13 without overflowing. You can cook chicken breasts in a skillet with Italian seasoning (or your preferred seasoning choice), and then shred the chicken. I leave the cooked crumbs in the skillet and add the butter and oil to it. The mushrooms will pick up the seasoning off the bottom of the skillet and flavor the mushrooms as well. Boil the linguine for only half of the time on the package directions, since it will keep cooking in the oven.