Chicken Mushroom Pasta
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (350 g) uncooked pasta - I prefer spaghetti or fettuccine
- 16 ounces (450 g) chicken breasts - boneless, skinless, sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1.5 teaspoons regular white salt - divided between 2 steps
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper - divided between 2 steps
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil - divided between 2 steps
- 16 ounces (450 g) brown/cremini mushrooms - aka baby bella mushroom, thinly sliced (see Note A)
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter - (Note B)
- 6 cloves garlic - finely minced, I use a garlic press
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - finely minced
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth or stock - (Note C)
- 1.5 cups (350 ml) heavy/whipping cream
- ¾ cup (75 g) freshly grated parmesan - tightly pack the cup when measuring
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Follow the package instructions to cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Season chicken with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, mix well. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick skillet or pan over medium-high heat (or medium if your burner is strong).
- Add chicken, don't overcrowd, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through. Don't overcrowd the pan, you don't want the chicken to steam. If needed, work in batches and divide the oil between them. Transfer the chicken to a plate, along with any liquid left in the pan.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan over the same heat level. Add the sliced mushrooms and make sure they’re spread out, not all piled on top of each other. Work in batches if needed.
- Cook without stirring for the first 2 to 3 minutes. Then stir occasionally and continue cooking until the released moisture has cooked off and the mushrooms are browned. Transfer them to the plate with the cooked chicken.
- Now, to make the sauce, reduce the heat to medium or (medium-low if your burner runs strong). In the same pan, add butter. Then minced garlic and chopped fresh thyme right after the butter has melted and starts to foam a little. Cook 20 seconds. Add chicken stock/broth, simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add cream and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Make sure the simmering is gentle, not vigorous, adjust heat as needed. Then add grated Parmesan, ground white pepper and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Stir and cook until smooth and the sauce just starts to coat the back of the spoon.
- Return the cooked chicken and mushrooms, and all their juices to the pan along with cooked pasta and the remaining ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Mix well and cook until the sauce starts to cling to pasta.
- The sauce should still look slightly loose in the pan. As the pasta sits for a minute, it will continue to thicken and reach the ideal consistency. Taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning if needed. I usually find the need to add a little more salt when using a low-sodium chicken stock.
- Remove from heat, mix in lemon juice and chopped parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Note A: Mushrooms – I use cremini/brown mushrooms, just partial to their flavor, but you can use other kinds too or even combine a few, such as white/button mushrooms and portobellos. Just keep the overall amount about the same by weight and cut them the same size so they cook evenly. No canned mushrooms, please.
Note B: Butter – If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt and adjust later if needed.
Note C: Chicken Broth – When I don't have premade chicken broth on hand, I make a substitute by dissolving chicken bouillon cubes, powder, or paste in hot water. Follow the package directions for the correct bouillon-to-water ratio, then use the prepared mixture in place of the stock/broth called for in the recipe.