Chicken Tetrazzini

From the book, Giada's Family Dinners.

ingredients

6 to 8 servings

6 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12 ounces dried linguine

3/4 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450F. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and the oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, add the mushrooms to the same pan. Saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When it melts, add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, broth, cream, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 1 minute.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the casserole. Bake uncovered until golden brown on top and bubbly, about 25 minute