What a great meal for a dark and stormy night. The mushrooms and the peas add a wholesome goodness to the body of the pasta and the chicken. We lightened up the cream sauce a little from the original and it was still plenty umptious. The Parmesan and the breadcrumbs add a little crunchy topping for that extra touch of texture.
This is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Chicken Tetrazzini: Giada's Family Dinners
Ingredients
- 9 Tbs butter
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts on the bone with the skin
- 2 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound sliced white mushrooms
- 1 large onion, chopped fine
- 5 cloves garlic, minced well
- 1 Tbs chopped thyme leaves, fresh
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk at room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream at room temperature
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, freshly ground is best
- 12 ounces linguine
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and olive oil and roast for about 35 minutes. Allow to cool a bit and shred with your fingers or two forks. Put the chicken into a bowl and set aside.
Butter the inside of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.
Add 1 Tbs each of butter and oil to a pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté over high heat until the mushrooms soften and start to become golden, about 10 minutes. Then add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and sauté until the onion is translucent, another 8 minutes or so. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the chicken.
Melt 3 more Tbs butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes to make a light roux. Whisk in the milk, cream, chicken broth, nutmeg, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil - then simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly. Whisk often (about 10 minutes).
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but but not mushy, about 9 minutes. Drain water. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken and mushroom mixture. Toss until the sauce coats everything well..
Transfer the chicken and pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Mix the cheese and breadcrumbs and sprinkle the over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake uncovered until golden brown on top and the sauce begins to bubble, about 25 minutes.