I Tried The Pioneer Woman's Famous Turkey Tetrazzini, and It's Pretty Much Perfect

Despite its Italian sounding name, the pasta casserole Tetrazzini is all-American, named after a famous opera singer, and believed to have been invented in San Francisco. I tried out The Pioneer Woman's Turkey Tetrazzini, where she brilliantly suggests using leftover turkey meat in place of chicken, perfect for those Thanksgiving leftovers.

Admittedly, this was my first time ever making a Tetrazzini, and unless you're making it for eight to 10 people, I suggest cutting The Pioneer Woman's recipe in half. This dish comes together fast so be sure to prep all your ingredients before you start cooking, including making the spaghetti. I loved the big chunks of turkey combined with the smoky flavor from the bacon. The spaghetti, oozing melted cheese, and panko breadcrumb topping makes this a great meal to curl up with when you need a bit of homestyle cooking.

I found the recipe lacked some key ingredients like fresh herbs, so next time I would add fresh parsley and thyme to elevate the flavors in the pasta. I do, however, like how versatile this recipe is because you can replace the turkey with chicken or seafood or even make it vegetarian with broccoli florets or cauliflower. Overall, this baked pasta is easy to make and would be a comforting home-cooked meal during the holidays.

See step-by-step photos of this comforting casserole ahead, and then make it for yourself.

Get the recipe: The Pioneer Woman's Turkey Tetrazzini