Tuna Tetrazzini is one of those retro dishes that I believe deserves a new life. It’s inexpensive, easy to make, and is very satisfying comfort food. The history of the dish is uncertain. It is said to have been created for early 1900s opera singer, Luisa Tetrazzini, by Ernest Arbogast, the chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, the city where the soprano made her American debut. Others attribute the dish to Lorber’s restaurant, which was across the street from New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. Still others name Chef Pavani of New York’s Knickerbocker Hotel as the creator.
The original dish was probably made with chicken, though it soon became a popular way to use up both leftover chicken or turkey. The dish made an appearance on Season 1, Episode 9 of Mad Men. For a more complete history, click here.
Though I’ve made the chicken and turkey versions, I prefer the version that uses tuna because it creates a much more flavorful dish. Another benefit of the dish is that it reheats fairly nicely, so leftovers are not a problem.
Mince the onion and shallot, and sauté in 3 tablespoons of butter until softened but not browned. Scrape into a side bowl.
Sauté the onion and shallot.
Slice the mushrooms, and in the same pan, sauté them in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, until just beginning to brown. Set aside.
Sauté the mushrooms.
In a heavy pot, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, the heavy cream, and 2 cups of water, and the onion/shallots. Heat this mixture until hot.
Heat the soup, cream, water, mushrooms, and shallot/onion mixture.
Drain and slice the black olives.
Slice the olives.
Drain and flake the tuna fish. Add the parsley, thyme, marjoram, lemon juice, the tuna, the olives, the mushrooms, and 1⁄2 cup each of the Romano and Parmigiano to the sauce. (If you prefer, you can you only one type of cheese. I believe the two enhance the flavor.) Keep warm over very low heat. Taste for salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid of the herbs and the seasonings as they elevate an otherwise blandish dish.
Cook the spaghetti or linguine until barely al dente. Save a bit of the pasta water. Drain the spaghetti and mix it into the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the pasta water.
Sauté either fresh bread crumbs or panko crumbs in a tablespoon of olive until nicely browned. You can skip the crumbs if you wish, but they add a great deal to the taste and texture of the dish.
Brown the breadcrumbs.
Butter a casserole dish, and fill it with the tuna/pasta mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1⁄4 cup each of Romano and Parmigiano on top. Then sprinkle on the toasted panko crumbs.
Gratinée in casserole under a broiler.
Heat the Tuna Tetrazzini under a broiler until bubbling hot and golden brown.
Gratinée only as much of the Tuna Tetrazzini as you plan to eat at a single meal. The remainder can be kept in the refrigerator and gratinéed at later date.
