Chicken Tetrazzini
Makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients
For the bechemel:
4 TB unsalted butter
1/4 cup AP/plain flour
4 cups whole milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
For the tetrazzini:
2 TB unsalted butter
16 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 TB fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 lbs meat from rotisserie chicken, shredded
Reserved juices from rotisserie chicken
8 oz cream cheese, softened
5 oz frozen baby peas
1 lb linguine (but not thin/fini linguine)
Bechemel from above
6 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup crushed Ritz-style crackers (about 1 sleeve from a standard box)
Directions
For the bechemel:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the flour and cook, whisking all the while, until flour begins to darken a bit, 3-4 minutes. Add in the milk quickly, still whisking, and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat low enough to just maintain a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens up, whisking whisking whisking, about 5 minutes. Add in the seasonings, taste, and adjust accordingly. Set aside and keep warm.
For the tetrazzini:
Add water to a large pot, bring it to the boil, and add a couple of good pinches of kosher salt. Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven, and set it to 375F. Butter a 9-inch by 13-inch baking/casserole dish (glass or ceramic preferred).
As the water comes up to the boil, melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add in the mushrooms and sauté until they release their liquid and just start to brown, about 10 minutes or so. Toss in the shallots, thyme, and cayenne, season with a little salt and black pepper, and cook 2-3 minutes more. Add in the wine, along with the reserved juices from the rotisserie chicken, bring it to a strong simmer, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid is nearly gone, 4-5 minutes. Take the skillet from the heat and stir in the cream cheese until it melts, then add in the shredded chicken and peas, and mix thoroughly.
Break the pasta in half and add to the now-boiling salted water, and cook to the package directions until al dente, usually 11-12 minutes. Take out 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add in the reserved bechemel, the cheese, and the chicken mixture and stir to combine, adding in some of the reserved pasta water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, to ease mixing.
Taste for seasoning, then transfer it over to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the top and bake until the sauce bubbles and the top turns slightly golden, 20-30 minutes. Serve.
Recipe based on Rotisserie Chicken Tetrazzini from "Lasagna - A Baked Pasta Cookbook," by Anna Hezel
Makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients
For the bechemel:
4 TB unsalted butter
1/4 cup AP/plain flour
4 cups whole milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
For the tetrazzini:
2 TB unsalted butter
16 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 TB fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 lbs meat from rotisserie chicken, shredded
Reserved juices from rotisserie chicken
8 oz cream cheese, softened
5 oz frozen baby peas
1 lb linguine (but not thin/fini linguine)
Bechemel from above
6 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup crushed Ritz-style crackers (about 1 sleeve from a standard box)
Directions
For the bechemel:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the flour and cook, whisking all the while, until flour begins to darken a bit, 3-4 minutes. Add in the milk quickly, still whisking, and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat low enough to just maintain a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens up, whisking whisking whisking, about 5 minutes. Add in the seasonings, taste, and adjust accordingly. Set aside and keep warm.
For the tetrazzini:
Add water to a large pot, bring it to the boil, and add a couple of good pinches of kosher salt. Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven, and set it to 375F. Butter a 9-inch by 13-inch baking/casserole dish (glass or ceramic preferred).
As the water comes up to the boil, melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add in the mushrooms and sauté until they release their liquid and just start to brown, about 10 minutes or so. Toss in the shallots, thyme, and cayenne, season with a little salt and black pepper, and cook 2-3 minutes more. Add in the wine, along with the reserved juices from the rotisserie chicken, bring it to a strong simmer, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid is nearly gone, 4-5 minutes. Take the skillet from the heat and stir in the cream cheese until it melts, then add in the shredded chicken and peas, and mix thoroughly.
Break the pasta in half and add to the now-boiling salted water, and cook to the package directions until al dente, usually 11-12 minutes. Take out 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add in the reserved bechemel, the cheese, and the chicken mixture and stir to combine, adding in some of the reserved pasta water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, to ease mixing.
Taste for seasoning, then transfer it over to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the top and bake until the sauce bubbles and the top turns slightly golden, 20-30 minutes. Serve.
Recipe based on Rotisserie Chicken Tetrazzini from "Lasagna - A Baked Pasta Cookbook," by Anna Hezel
