Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole!

This is a really lovely tasting, really classic casserole. But it’s not the Tetrazzini of your youth! It’s been updated and made way more sophisticated!

*By the way – this recipe would also be an ideal meal for after Thanksgiving, when you need a recipe that you can use leftover turkey in! All you would need to do is chop up a couple cups of turkey leftovers in place of the chicken thighs in this recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 oz /a small handful of dried porcini mushrooms
• olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs, boned, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces (You can ask your grocer to do this bit for you!)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 handfuls of mixed fresh mushrooms, cleaned and torn ( I used button and shittake)
• 1 cup white wine (Dry)
•1lb dried spaghetti (spaghettini or cappellini would be ideal sizes)
• 2 ½ cups double cream (this is what you will most likely see in your grocery dairy case as “whipping Cream”)
• 7oz• Parmesan cheese, grated
• a sprig of fresh basil, leaves picked
• extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
• Put your porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover them (approx. 2/3 cup). Put aside to soak for a few minutes.
• Heat a saucepan big enough to hold all the ingredients, and pour in a splash of olive oil. Season the chicken thigh pieces with salt and pepper and brown.
• Strain the porcini, reserving the soaking water! And add them to the pan with the garlic and fresh mushrooms.
• Add the white wine, then add the strained porcini soaking water, and turn your heat down.
• Simmer gently until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the wine has reduced a little.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water – and drain well.
• Add the cream to the pan of chicken & mushrooms, then bring to the boil and turn the heat off. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss.
• Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and all of the basil and stir well.
• Spray your casserole pan with PAM and sprinkle with half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp. Divide between your plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese before serving!
• Bask in the adoration of your family:)

Need to see it? Visual learner? Video below shows you the process in 3 minutes!