This One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe is an easy dinner idea that’s perfect for using up leftover turkey or chicken! It’s rich, flavorful, creamy, and comes together in 30 minutes or less in just one pan!
Looking for more cozy fall pastas? Try this Chicken Penne Pasta, Pasta Carbonara Recipe, Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta, or this One Pot Pasta Primavera Recipe next!
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One pot pastas check every box on my list, especially in the fall when we’re all craving hearty comfort food.
After remaking my Turkey Tetrazzini Soup a while back, I thought to myself, “Why have I not done a one pot tetrazzini?!” It just makes sense! Because with Thanksgiving and Christmas and all all the holiday feasts coming up, there are bound to be leftovers.
And this recipe is the perfect way to use those leftovers up! Bonus: this meal only dirties one dish and comes together in 25 minutes.
Got lots of leftover turkey? Check out this Turkey Tetrazzini, this Turkey Alfredo Stromboli or this Turkey Pot Pie.
Ingredients Needed:
- Oil: I use canola oil to saute the mushroom and onion, but any neutral flavored oil will work.
- White Mushrooms: thinly slice the mushrooms so they cook down and soak in all the flavor from the seasonings.
- Onion: adds a delicious savory flavor
- Seasonings: we’re seasoning our veggies and cream sauce with a combination of minced garlic, salt, dried thyme, dried parsley, and black pepper.
- Chicken Broth: I like to use low sodium chicken broth so I can add salt to taste on my own. If you use regular broth, you may want to reduce the added salt.
- Milk or Cream: either one will work. Heavy cream will be richer while milk will be lightened up a bit.
- Spaghetti: break the noodles in half so they can be easily added to the pan.
- Turkey: you’ll need 2 cups of cooked turkey! If you have leftover cooked chicken (Shredded Chicken or Baked Chicken Breast perhaps?), that will work too.
- Frozen Peas: peas add a bit of color and a pop of texture.
- Parmesan Cheese: helps thicken the sauce and add some salty, cheesy flavor.
How to Make One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini
This one pot pasta dinner comes together in a quick 25 minutes!
- Sauté the mushroom and onion: Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then addd mushrooms and onion.
- Season with garlic, salt, thyme, parsley, and pepper. Cook for another minute.
- Deglaze the pan by adding broth and scraping the bottom to remove any stuck on bits.
- Make the sauce: Stir in cream and bring to a simmer before adding the pasta.
- Cook the pasta: Cover and cook until the pasta is al dente.
- Add the meat, peas, and cheese: Once the pasta is cooked, stir in turkey, peas, and parmesan. Cover and let sit until heated, then serve.
Turkey Tetrazzini FAQs
Tetrazzini refers to something that is prepared with pasta and a white sauce. In this case, turkey!
cool, place in a freezer-safe dish, then freeze up to 3 months. It can also be stored in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that, once frozen and thawed, the texture won’t be quite the same. To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen, bring to room temperature, then bake at 350ºF until heated through.
Yes! Really any pasta will work here, as long as you use the same weight. Keep in mind that different shapes require different cook times.
Simple! Just stir in a little more broth and keep going. This recipe is very easy to customize.
Simple! The pasta will thicken very quickly as it sits (because of the starch the pasta adds to the sauce as it cooks), so hold off on thinning it out until it has cooled for at least 10 minutes.
Tips and Notes
- Use pre-cooked meat! Whether you’re using turkey or chicken, make sure you’re using up leftovers or pre-cooking it first.
- If you use heavy cream, you might find you need more broth. The sauce will thicken quickly.
- If you use milk, you may need to thicken the sauce at the end with a sprinkle of cornstarch. Just be sure to dissolve the corn starch in water before adding it.
- Adjust as needed. Keep in mind that different pastas and liquids will require different amounts. This is fine, though! If you need to add more liquid, go ahead. If you need to thicken the sauce after cooking, do it.
- Serve right away. The sauce will thicken quickly once it’s off the heat!
Variations
- Add more veggies. Feel free to cook more veggies with the onion and mushroom. Try broccoli florets, chopped bell pepper, asparagus, kale, you name it.
- Use another meat. Swap the cooked turkey out for cooked chicken or check out my Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe.
- Make it vegetarian. Just leave out the meat and swap the chicken broth for veggie broth.
- Try another pasta shape. Really anything will work! You’ll need 340 grams or ¾ pounds.
Serving Suggestions
With protein, veggies, and carbs, this Turkey Tetrazzini really is a complete meal in one pot. However, you can totally pair it up with a couple of yummy sides.
Try it with a simple green salad, Garlic Bread, Roasted Green Beans, or Air Fryer Broccoli.
More One Pot Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 cup white mushrooms stems removed if desired, thinly sliced
- ½ medium onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups milk or cream* (any kind)
- 340g spaghetti noodles broken in half (¾ pound)
- 2 cups cooked turkey or chicken chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion and cook until mushrooms are browned and onions are softened, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, salt, thyme, parsley and pepper and cook 1 minute.
- Add broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Stir in cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Stir in spaghetti and return to a simmer, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until pasta is cooked to desired doneness, stirring often.
- Stir in turkey, peas and Parmesan. Cover and let sit until heated through. Serve.
Notes
- You can sub chicken for the turkey or omit and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian meal.
- You can add in extra veggies as you see fit
- Any cut of pasta will work — aim for 340 grams or ¾ pound of whatever you use.
Nutrition Information
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Isabelle says
This was delicious, but there is no way this recipe could serve 6, except maybe as a side dish.
As written, each serving is just over 55g pasta, 1/3 cup turkey, and 2.5 tbsp each of mushrooms and peas. That’s a toddler sized portion!
Not sure if this was a deliberate trick to keep the calorie count on the recipe below a certain number, but it’s very misleading. Plan to make a double batch if you’re feeding 4 or more, especially if you want leftovers.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your feedback Isabelle! An average serving of pasta is 56 grams, so it sounds like we’re right on the money. I can see why you might want to add additional protein and vegetables to round out your meal though!
Hyde says
Very yummy. Love the blend of spices, especially thyme, which I normally don’t like. I went the milk route since my spaghetti was already cooked. Great consistency until leftover time. So I’m going to add more cream and some capers because I love capers. Great use of leftover turkey. I’ll lean more towards the dark meat next time since nothing keeps the white meat from drying out. Thanks for the recipe.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Hyde!
Donna Norman says
Can you freeze, if so do you cook dish before or after cooking?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Donna, I’d freeze this after cooking. Enjoy!!
Dianne B says
I made this recipe with half cream and half skim milk. I used canned peas and used the juice from them as well as the chicken broth. I put chicken that I had canned in. It turned out great! My husband loved it and wanted to make sure there was more for dinner as well!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Dianne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Danielle says
This is perfect for the leftover turkey I have in my fridge! I was literally on my way to work this morning trying to come up with recipe ideas for it 🙂 I agree about the cream, I always use a mix of cream and broth. I love cream, but all cream is sometimes just too much!
Ashley Fehr says
It’s one of our favorites! Hope you enjoy!
Linda Marie Paterson says
How much is 350g of spaghetti?
Thank you.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Linda, it’s roughly 10-12 ounces.