Garlic Chicken & Mushroom Pasta
I was nearing the end of my last grocery haul and trying to piece together dinner with what we already had on hand. I found chicken breasts, mushrooms, heavy cream, and an almost concerning amount of garlic. Then I started grabbing a few extra ingredients that always make everything taste better: shallot, fresh lemon juice, basil, parmesan, and a little anchovy paste.Before you click away because of the anchovy paste, hear me out. It doesn’t make the pasta taste fishy at all. It completely melts into the sauce and adds that rich, savory restaurant-style flavor that makes you stop mid-bite and wonder why it tastes so good.
Equipment
- 1 Heavy Bottomed Saute Pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
- Juice 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (optional)
- 12 oz cavatappi pasta
Instructions
- Boil 5 quarts of heavily salted water. Cook your pasta until al dente. Do this first so it can cook while you are cooking the pasta sauce.
- Heat olive oil in a saute pan, cook your diced chicken that has been seasoned with salt and pepper.
- When the chicken is close to being cooked through, add your shallot, mushroom and garlic to the pan.
- Add one ladle of the pasta water to the mixture once the vegetables are fragrant.
- Add your anchovy paste and lemon juice, and stir well.
- Add parsley and butter to your sauce.
- Once butter has melted, add your pasta and incorporate until coated by the sauce.
- Top with parmesan cheese and heavy cream.
- Let cook on medium-low for another 2-3 minutes until sauce is thickened.
Optional: Top with fresh basil for even more fresh flavor.