A dreamy combination of juicy chunks of chicken, mushroom with al dente pasta bathed with a creamy sauce that envelopes its every strand, cooked to perfection. Best served hot and garnished with parsley to add to its presentation.
Process:
- Start by boiling the pasta until al dente and reserve some pasta water.
- Marinate the chicken and give it good sear in butter until golden brown.
- In the same pan, sauté chopped onions and garlic, followed by sliced mushrooms until they’re tender. Next, make a creamy sauce by adding flour, milk, and seasonings, then stir in the cooked chicken and pasta, mixing everything together.
- Finally, garnish with chopped parsley or coriander and enjoy your delicious meal!
Here’s what you are going to need to make it:
Pasta: You can use linguine, fettucine or spaghetti if you prefer.
Chicken Breast: We’re using boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Mushrooms: These add a nice earthy flavor to the dish.
Salt: This helps enhance the flavor.
Onion Powder: Adds a subtle sweetness.
Black Pepper: Gives a bit of heat and warmth.
Garlic Paste: Adds aromatic flavor.
Oregano: An earthy herb.
Paprika Powder: Adds a hint of sweetness.
Butter: To cook the chicken and add rich flavor.
Large Onion: Adds sweetness and essential for creating aromatic base.
Fresh Garlic: Fresh garlic provides aromatic, strong flavor.
Chicken Stock Powder: This adds savory flavor to the sauce.
Oregano and Thyme: More earthy herbs.
Black Pepper and Salt: To season the sauce.
Cream: To make the sauce rich and creamy.
Pasta Water: Reserved from cooking the pasta, starch from the water helps thicken the sauce.
All-Purpose Flour: To make roux and thicken the sauce.
Milk: This helps create a smooth, creamy consistency for the sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 ounces linguine or 250g linguine pasta
- 500g chicken breast cut into pieces
- 250g white mushroom sliced
Chicken Marination
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp butter (FOR COOKING CHICKEN)
Sauce Base
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves of fresh chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp chicken stock powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 & 1/2 cups cream
Roux
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 & 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1: Boiling the Pasta
- Boil 250g linguine pasta and cook al Dante. Strain pasta after boiling and preserve at least 1 cup of pasta water.
Step 2: Marinate the Chicken
- Marinate 500g chicken breast pieces, with 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp black pepper (crushed), 1 tbsp garlic paste, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp paprika powder.
- (You can skip the marinating process and season the chicken with same seasonings while cooking)
Step 3: Cooking the Chicken
- In a pan add 2 tablespoons of butter, fry the marinated chicken on medium high heat until golden brown, remove the chicken pieces, and set aside
Step 4: Sauteing the Aromatics and Mushrooms
- In the same pan, add 1 tbsp butter and 1 large onion, finely chopped
- Add 3-4 cloves of fresh garlic chopped, sauté the onions & garlic
- Add 250g white mushroom sliced, sauté until golden brown & tender
Step 5: Making the Sauce
- Slide the mushroom aside and in the same pan add 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 cups milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, stir until the mixture thickens,
- Add 1 tbsp chicken stock powder, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 600ml cream, 1/2 cup pasta water, stir together
- Add the cooked chicken to the mushroom sauce and gently mix.
Step 6: Add cooked pasta and chicken
- Add the cooked linguine pasta, toss together and simmer again garnish with chopped parsley or coriander. Enjoy!
Tips and notes:
- To prevent the pasta al dente from getting a mushy texture slightly undercook its shells before it is added to the sauce. Doing so fulfills the time required under heat to let it cook itself without it getting too soft.
- This delicious cheesy chicken pasta can easily be rounded out to a full meal when served along with a side salad, some roasted or steamed veggies or maybe some garlic bread.
- If the sauce is too thick, you may add some of the pasta water to thin out its consistency to your liking. If it is too thin, let it simmer for a minute or two until it reaches the desired consistency.
- No cheese was added to this recipe. However, you may add any cheese of your liking or blend different kinds of cheeses into a mix and add to the pasta.
- Omit the chicken in order to make a vegetarian version of the same pasta. It may be left as it is without the chicken or vegetables may be added according to your needs and taste.
- Cream can be substituted for milk in order to make the sauce thicker and richer, if desired.
- An airtight container can be used to store the leftovers for 3-4 days. Add cream when using the leftovers to prevent the pasta from drying out.
- save a cup of pasta water when you drain the cooked pasta. adding some of this to the sauce will help bind it, making it silkier and more cohesive.
- You can swap the chicken breast with chicken thighs if something with a softer texture is preferred.
- A large pot has to be used to accommodate and increased volume, if the recipe is to be multiplied to feed more people or for the sake of leftovers.
- Save your pasta water!
- It’s better to save a bit more water than you think you’ll need. One cup of pasta water is usually a good starting point. You can always add more if needed.
- Be mindful of the saltiness of the pasta water. Assuming you added salt to the water you cooked your pasta in (which is definitely recommended), the saved pasta water will be salty. Adjust the salt in your sauce accordingly.
- Cooking is a personal experience, always adjust to your preference!
- This pasta is best served hot, straight from the stove.
