Name: Turkey Tetrazzini Pasta
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin; Salt and pepper; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon dry sherry; 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese; 1 pound spaghetti; 3 cups cooked turkey meat, cut into bited-sized pieces (see tip above); 2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Why This Recipe Works

Microwaving or reheating leftover turkey in the oven often dries it out. To keep the meat moist for our Turkey Tetrazzini Pasta, we placed slices of leftover turkey in a steamer basket set in a pot of simmering water, then covered the pot and checked it every few minutes. The turkey heated quickly and stayed juicy. We used leftover Thanksgiving turkey here, but at other times of the year we found we could substitute the meat of one rotisserie chicken.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in cream and sherry and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in Parmesan. Cover and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, drain pasta, and return to pot. Add mushroom sauce, turkey, and peas, and ½ cup reserved pasta water to pot and toss to combine, adding additional reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.