Description
This Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken strips sautéed with mushrooms, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes in a rich, creamy tomato-based sauce. Perfectly cooked pasta is tossed in the luscious sauce and garnished with Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme for a hearty and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 oz. dried pasta (rigatoni or any preferred type)
Chicken
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1.5 teaspoons salt (divided)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
Sauté and Sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- ½ medium white onion, minced
- 12 oz. mushrooms, sliced (shiitake used here but any kind works)
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ⅓ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
- ½ cup starchy pasta water (reserved from cooking pasta)
- 1 cup beef broth (chicken broth can also be used)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Garnish
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, then remove 1.5 cups of the starchy pasta water before draining. Rinse the pasta with cold water to stop cooking and set aside.
- Prepare the chicken. Place the chicken breasts between plastic wrap on a flat surface and pound with a meat tenderizer until an even thickness of about 1 inch is achieved. Cut into ½ inch strips and place in a bowl.
- Make the dry rub and coat the chicken. In a bowl, mix flour, garlic powder, dried thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ground pepper. Toss the chicken strips in this mixture until well coated.
- Sear the chicken. Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, coating the bottom evenly. Add chicken strips in a single layer (cook in batches if needed). Sear for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 165ºF). Remove chicken and set aside.
- Deglaze and sauté aromatics. Lower heat to medium and deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up browned bits for flavor. Add minced onion and ¼ teaspoon salt, sautéing for about 2 minutes until softened.
- Cook mushrooms and garlic. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add mushrooms. Toss and increase heat to medium-high, cooking for 3 minutes. Add garlic and ¼ cup beef broth, cooking another 2-3 minutes until mushrooms start browning.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and seasonings. Stir in julienned sun-dried tomatoes and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Build the sauce. Pour in reserved starchy pasta water and remaining beef broth. Whisk in tomato paste and bring to a gentle boil, allowing the sauce to thicken.
- Finish the sauce with cream. Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in heavy cream until smooth and combined. Return pan to medium heat.
- Toss chicken and pasta in the sauce. Add the cooked chicken strips and pasta to the sauce, tossing gently until everything is well coated. If a saucier texture is desired, add more starchy pasta water by tablespoon increments.
- Garnish and serve. Top the creamy pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle fresh thyme leaves before serving.
Notes
- Use any pasta shape you prefer; rigatoni works well to hold the sauce.
- Sun-dried tomatoes add a burst of flavor; make sure to drain excess oil.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency as needed.
- Cook chicken in batches if your pan is small to avoid overcrowding and ensure even browning.
- You can substitute beef broth with chicken broth or vegetable broth if preferred.
- For a lighter dish, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, though the sauce will be less rich.
- Fresh thyme can be substituted with dried thyme if fresh is unavailable, but add it earlier during cooking for better flavor infusion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
