Truffle Chicken Mushroom Pasta
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For cooking pasta
- 8 ounces (227 g) pasta - uncooked, I prefer penne
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil - to prevent drained pasta from clumping
For truffle chicken mushroom pasta
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large (225 g) chicken breast - skinless, boneless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces (227 g) brown/cremini mushrooms - thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt - divided
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper - divided
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) unsalted butter - (Note A)
- 1 medium onion - thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups (355 ml) whole milk - room temperature
- ½ chicken bouillon cube - or substitute with bouillon powder or base
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan - press it down as you fill the cup
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - optional, adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice - or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon truffle oil - (Note B)
Optional Garnishes
- some chopped fresh basil or parsley
- some more freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just al dente (follow package instructions). Drain and toss with 1 teaspoon oil to keep it from sticking. Set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken (don't overcrowd) and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Let them cook without stirring for the first 2 to 3 minutes, to brown the bottoms. Then stir occasionally and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more or until all the released moisture has cooked off. Transfer to the plate containing cooked chicken.
- Now, for making the sauce, reduce the heat to medium. In the same pan, melt the butter and add the sliced onions. Stir occasionally until the onions get soft.
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Gradually pour in room-temp milk and mix until all the clumpiness is gone. Simmer for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens very slightly. Crush the chicken bouillon, add it, and stir.
- Add Parmesan, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce looks smooth. Return the cooked chicken and mushrooms to the pan. Add Dijon, lemon juice, and truffle oil. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of warm water to loosen it.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning and truffle oil quantity as needed. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix gently to coat. Continue to warm up your pasta over low heat just until heated through.
- Remove from heat. Garnish with chopped basil or parsley and extra Parmesan, if you like. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Note A: Butter – I prefer unsalted butter because it allows me to control the salt in the dish. If you've only got salted butter, reduce the quantity of added salt and then adjust later if needed.
Note B: Truffle oil – Truffle oils can vary quite a lot in strength. There’s no one-size-fits-all amount that I can give you, so start with less. Maybe even less than what I’ve written, then add a little more at a time to your sauce and adjust to your liking.