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Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta

April 27, 2013

I’ve been trying to break out of my pasta rut a little bit lately. Don’t get me wrong, my rut is quite delicious—homemade pesto or sauteed/roasted veggies and sausage with some kind of cheese in the sauce, you can’t go wrong. But pasta can be so many things, and I really under-utilize its potential sometimes.

Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta | This easy weeknight dinner option feels decadent but is simple and largely uses very accessible ingredients.  If you can't find mascarpone or creme fraiche, a little cream cheese can substitute.  Great vegetarian dinner or Meatless Monday option, vegetarian pasta.  #vegetarian #dinnerrecipe #meatlessmonday #mushrooms #pasta

I found this recipe in my Cooking Light magazine and pulled it out quite a while ago. It’s been sitting on my couch since then, largely because I had to remember to buy mascarpone at Trader Joe’s. You can also find it at certain grocery stores, though not all the time. But good ol’ TJ’s always has it.

The flavor was mild and yet really interesting. While I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms, they were great in this dish.

First off, boil water for pasta, add salt once boiling, cook it until it’s al dente (don’t overcoook!), then drain. I didn’t take a picture of this because, well, it’s boring.

Prep is a big thing here, and if you do a little ahead of time it will make the actual cooking far less stressful. Chop up the onion and fresh garlic first.

Also go ahead and give those mushrooms some rough chops. I used baby ‘bellas.

Note on the steps below—I’ve laid out in linear order, but you can easily start both the chicken pan and the skillet of onions and mushrooms at the same time, and they’ll be done about the same time.

Heat a large saucepan, a very large, deep skillet, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray or a tiny bit of oil.

Cut up your chicken and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper on it before adding to the pan. Saute 4 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.

In a cup measure, combine 1/4 cup of chicken stock and the flour, stirring together. Then add the stock/flour mixture plus an additional 3/4 cup of stock to the pan and stir.

creamy chicken mushroom pasta chicken stock

Also, add the half-and-half, then bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

creamy chicken mushroom pasta cream

Remove the pan from the heat, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, the mascarpone, and 2 tablespoons of parsley (I didn’t have, so I used fresh thyme instead).

creamy chicken mushroom pasta spices mascarpone

Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, heat up  the skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray or oil.

Add the chopped onion and cook 4 minutes, add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Then add the thyme and mushrooms, letting them cook for about 8 minutes.

creamy chicken mushroom pasta onions mushrooms cooking

This is what it looked like after about 8 minutes for me.

creamy chicken mushroom pasta onions mushrooms softening

Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, vinegar, and mustard, cooking just 30 seconds to combine everything.

creamy chicken mushroom pasta dijon

Then, in whichever of your pans is bigger, combine the mushroom mixture with the pasta and chicken mixtures and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

creamy chicken mushroom pasta finished2

creamy chicken mushroom pasta finished3

Et voila! I loved the flavor combinations (second recipe I’ve used recently for both mushrooms and dijon, I must be onto something) and the overall finished product. Mine was a little pasta-heavy because I used the whole 16-ounce box of pasta, but otherwise it was great.

Other interesting pasta dishes you’ll love:

  • Creamy Sweet Corn & Chicken Sausage Pasta
  • Balsamic Pasta with Toasted Garlic & Pine Nuts
  • Baked Pasta with Broccolini, Kale, & Sausage
  • Pasta with Gorgonzola, Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Caramelized Onions

Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta

  • 9 ounces of uncooked orecchiette pasta (or similar shell-type)
  • 12 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon of black pepper, divided
  • 1 cup of unsalted chicken stock, divided
  • 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup of half-and-half
  • 1/3 cup of mascarpone cheese
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley, divided (note, I didn’t have, so I left out)
  • 1/2 cup of chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme
  • 8 ounces of chopped wild mushroom blend
  • 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Boil water for pasta, add salt once boiling, cook until al dente, then drain.

Heat a large saucepan, very large, deep skillet, or Dutch oven over medium-high and spray with cooking spray or a tiny bit of oil. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper on the chicken and add to the pan. Saute 4 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. In a cup measure, combine 1/4 cup of chicken stock and the flour, then add the stock/flour mixture, an additional 3/4 cup of stock, and the half-and-half to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, the mascarpone, and 2 tablespoons of parsley.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray or oil. Add the chopped onion and cook 4 minutes, add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Then add the thyme and mushrooms, letting them cook for about 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, vinegar, and mustard, cooking just 30 seconds to combine everything. Stir in the pasta and chicken mixture in the largest of your pots and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

Original recipe from Cooking Light

Pin for later!

Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta | This easy weeknight dinner option feels decadent but is simple and largely uses very accessible ingredients.  If you can't find mascarpone or creme fraiche, a little cream cheese can substitute.  Great vegetarian dinner or Meatless Monday option, vegetarian pasta.  #vegetarian #dinnerrecipe #meatlessmonday #mushrooms #pasta

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Welcome to my little corner of the internet! I created this blog for people who love cooking & baking but are challenged to find the time and energy to do it. Recipes run the gamut from super healthy to indulgent, but the focus is on using REAL food no matter what.

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