Easy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
A quick and comforting chicken and mushroom pasta with a light, creamy garlic-parmesan sauce and a squeeze of lemon for freshness.
Servings: 2 - 3 people
Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta (or 300 grams fresh)
- 2 x chicken thighs see notes
- 1 tablespoon flour optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 200 grams mushrooms sliced
- 4 garlic cloves finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or thyme or both!
- ½ cup white wine I used a Sauvignon Blanc
- ¾ cup light cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus zest to serve
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 50 grams parmesan finely grated
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- Boil your pasta in well salted water, undercooking by a minute. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining in case you need to loosen sauce.
- Dry the chicken thighs with paper towels, season well with salt and pepper on both sides and lightly dust with flour.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat and place the chicken thighs, smooth side down. Cook for 7 minutes (turn heat down if browning too fast) then flip and cook for a further 5 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside, loosely wrapped in aluminium foil.
- In the same skillet add the butter and another drizzle of olive oil if pan is dry and add the mushrooms, toss well.
- Lower to a medium heat and leave the mushrooms pretty undisturbed for 5 - 7 minutes until golden brown, turning once.
- Add the garlic and rosemary, toss and cook for a minute.
- Add the wine and let it reduce for 2 - 3 mins. A gentle simmer.
- Add the cream, mix well and bring to a gentle simmer, adjust the heat if you need, it should not be boiling.
- Push the mushrooms to one side and add the parmesan in two separate lots, stirring and letting it melt into the cream between additions.
- Add the black pepper, salt and lemon juice and mix in quickly. I like a flat whisk for this.
- Cut the chicken into strips and add it along with your cooked pasta into sauce. Mix well and let it gently bubble away for 1 - 2 minutes. It will continue to thicken off the heat so don't worry if it seems too saucy.
- Add the chopped parsley, mix through and serve with the lemon zest and extra grated parmesan on top.
Notes
Chicken: Thighs stay the juiciest, but chicken breast works too, just don’t overcook it. Keep the breasts whole so they stay tender.
Mushrooms: Cremini (Swiss brown/baby bellas) have the best flavor, but white button or portobello mushrooms also work.
Wine substitute: If you prefer not to cook with wine, use chicken stock instead and add an extra squeeze of lemon for brightness.
Cream: Single/light cream works well, but in the U.S. use heavy cream or whipping cream. If the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with a splash of pasta water.
Pasta: Undercook the pasta by 1 minute so it can finish cooking in the sauce and stay perfectly al dente.
Sauce thickness: Cream sauces continue to thicken as they cool. Keep it slightly saucier in the pan so it’s perfect when served.