Chicken Tetrazzini

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F and butter a 23 x 33 cm baking dish. Boil the spaghetti in salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet says, drain and set aside.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

2. Melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are golden and their liquid has gone. Add the garlic for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

3. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Add the stock and milk a little at a time, stirring, and simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

4. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in 60 g of the Parmesan, the lemon juice, salt, pepper and nutmeg, then fold in the chicken, peas and spaghetti.

   Mark done

5. Tip into the baking dish and level the top. Mix the remaining 40 g of Parmesan with the breadcrumbs and melted butter and scatter over the top.

   Mark done

6. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and bubbling at the edges. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Boil the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the packet says. It keeps cooking in the oven and would be soft if it were fully cooked first.
• Make the sauce looser than you think it should be. The pasta absorbs a lot of it while it bakes.
• A splash of dry sherry or white wine, added to the mushrooms and cooked away, is the traditional flavour if you want it.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Panko gives the crunchiest crust here, but ordinary dried breadcrumbs will still fry crisp if that's what's in the cupboard.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• A green salad
• Garlic bread
• Steamed broccoli

Storage & Reheating

Keep in the fridge up to 4 days and reheat covered in a 180°C oven for 20 minutes. Freeze for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.