Turkey Tetrazzini with Browned Mushrooms
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After the big dinner, the house is quiet and the fridge is full of turkey. Browned mushrooms, a sherry-Parmesan sauce and a crackly top bring the family back to the table.
The short version
Brown mushrooms and onion in butter, stir in flour, then stock and milk for a smooth sauce, and finish it off the heat with sherry, Parmesan and lemon. Fold in undercooked spaghetti, turkey and peas, top with buttered panko and Parmesan, and bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Don't fully cook the pasta first.
What makes ours better
why ours wins the argument at dinner
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Brown the mushrooms hard. Mushrooms that cook until their liquid is gone and their edges are brown taste meaty and deep; pale, steamed ones taste of nothing. It takes 10 minutes and a pan that isn't crowded.
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Finish the sauce with sherry, Parmesan and lemon. Stirred in off the heat, a splash of dry sherry and a little lemon cut the richness and Parmesan seasons the sauce from inside. Together they make it taste like more than flour and milk.
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Undercook the pasta, then bake it hot and fast. Pasta pulled 2 minutes early finishes in the sauce instead of going soft, and a short bake at 425°F browns the top before the noodles have time to turn to mush.
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Panko and Parmesan on top. Buttered panko stays crunchier than dry bread crumbs, and Parmesan toasted into it gives the casserole its best part, the browned edges.
What you need
the stars of the show
- Spaghetti12 ounces
- Cremini or white mushrooms12 ounces
- Fresh thyme leaves2 teaspoons
- Dry sherry¼ cup
- Grated Parmesan¾ cup
- Cooked turkey4 cups
- Frozen peas1½ cups
- Panko bread crumbs¾ cup
Casserole
Topping
tap each one as it goes in. no double-salting.
Steps
apron on. phone down. mostly.
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Heat the oven, boil the pasta
Set a rack in the middle of the oven, heat it to 425°F and butter a 13×9-inch baking dish. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package says; it should still be firm in the center. Drain it, toss with a little oil and set it aside.
About 8 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Brown the mushrooms
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring only now and then, until their liquid has cooked off and they're browned at the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
Leave them alone. Stirring constantly keeps them steaming instead of browning.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Soften the onion
Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and the onion. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and thyme for 30 seconds.
About 5 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Make the sauce
Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until it smells toasty. Slowly whisk in the stock, then the milk, and bring it to a simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom. Cook until it's smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.
About 4 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Season it off the heat
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sherry, ¾ cup of Parmesan, lemon juice, nutmeg, pepper and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Taste it. It should taste a little too salty on its own, because the pasta and turkey will soak that up.
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Fold it together
Add the turkey, peas and spaghetti to the sauce and toss with tongs until every strand is coated. It will look saucy; that's right, the pasta absorbs a lot in the oven. Spread it in the baking dish.
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Top and bake
Mix the panko, ½ cup of Parmesan and melted butter with your fingers and scatter it evenly over the top. Bake until the topping is deep golden and the sauce bubbles at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Let it sit 5 minutes before serving.
About 15 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
the stuff I’d tell you over the phone
- Leftover cooked spaghetti works too; you'll need about 6 cups. Skip boiling and fold it straight into the sauce.
- Cooked chicken, including rotisserie chicken, works in place of the turkey in the same amount.
- Make it ahead by assembling without the topping, covering and refrigerating up to 1 day. Add the topping and bake at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot in the center.
- No sherry? Dry white wine works, or leave it out and add another teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Storage. Covered in the fridge, 3 to 4 days. Freeze baked portions up to 3 months. Reheat covered with foil at 350°F with a splash of stock or milk until hot, about 20 minutes, uncovering for the last 5.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Can I make turkey tetrazzini ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble it without the topping and refrigerate it covered for up to a day. Add the topping and bake at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes, since it goes in cold.
Why is my tetrazzini dry?
The pasta soaks up sauce as it bakes and sits, so it needs to look loose and saucy going into the oven. Undercook the pasta, don't skimp on the sauce, and add a splash of stock when reheating.
Can I use a different pasta?
Linguine, fettuccine and wide egg noodles all work in the same weight. Short pasta like penne works too but loses the classic tangle.
Can I freeze turkey tetrazzini?
Yes, baked or unbaked, for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then bake or reheat covered at 350°F until hot in the center and uncover it to crisp the top.
Do I have to use sherry?
No, but it adds a lot for a quarter cup. Dry white wine is the best swap; without either, use an extra teaspoon of lemon juice.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
Made it?
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Published October 26, 2026.