Who doesn’t have leftover turkey after the holidays? Turkey and noodle casserole might not be as much of a standard as the old turkey sandwich or turkey pot pie, but this Italian way to use leftovers can make that old turkey seem new and exciting! It’s also packed with veggies and great flavor and the pasta helps to stretch it into a bigger meal for less money, so everyone wins!
The dish is said to have been developed either at the Knickerbocker hotel in New York or the Palace Hotel in Sanfrancisco, but whichever the location, it was surely named for the famous opera singer Luisa Tetrazini who supposedly enjoyed the dish as cooked by the chefs at either one of the hotels (we may never know which!) Here’s what you’ll need:
Serves 8
- 3 tbsp butter, and extra butter to coat a baking dish
- 1 8 oz package baby portabella mushrooms or button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 8 oz jars artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1 lb linguine pasta
- ½ cup dry vermouth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese with another quarter cup for topping
- 16 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp parsley flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
1Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter a 10 by 15 inch baking dish and put a pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter and then add the onion and celery. Sautee for a few minutes and then add the mushrooms. Season with the dried parsley, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add the turkey, artichokes and the roasted red peppers and sautee until everything is mixed together and heated. Increase the heat to high and deglaze with the vermouth. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes and then cut the heat.
2Blanch the pasta for about 6-8 minutes in the boiling water just until it’s soft enough to bend. Strain it promptly and set aside. Dump the water from the pasta pot and then return the pasta to the pot and add the vegetable and turkey mixture. Add the cheeses and cream and stir it all together. Once the mixture is heated through and steaming, which shouldn’t take long, transfer to the prepared baking dish.
3Bake for about 12 minutes. Combine the parmesan and breadcrumbs in a bowl and sprinkle overtop. Switch to broil and cook for another 1 or two minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Some recipes include topping the dish with toasted slivered almonds or pine nuts, but this is optuional. You can also add various vegetables like green peas, carrots, whatever you feel like!
