Learn how to create a delicious, quick, creamy chicken and mushroom pasta dish in about 30 minutes using simple ingredients and easy cooking techniques. It’s easy enough for a weeknight yet delicious enough for the whole gang!
This quick and easy pasta combines browned chicken breast pieces with mushrooms, onions, and garlic in a creamy white wine Parmesan sauce seasoned with thyme, oregano, and parsley. I love to serve this with copycat olive garden salad and no-knead Dutch oven bread,
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Pasta: I like to use rigatoni or penne pasta for this recipe, but you could also use mostaccioli or ziti. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions.
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Mushrooms: cremini or white button mushrooms
- Shallots: if you can find them or yellow onion
- White wine: this recipe works well with a good dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Make sure that the quality of the wine is good enough that you would drink it.
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated is always best
How to make Chicken Mushroom Pasta
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente and drain well. Meanwhile, salt and pepper the chicken on both sides. Lightly sprinkle the chicken with paprika. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken and brown it on both sides. Work in batches, and do not crowd the pan. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in the same skillet. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until the mushrooms brown and the onions soften. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, dried, and dried oregano. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
Add the wine and reduce by half. Then add the chicken broth and heavy cream and gently simmer until reduced by almost half. Slowly stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Add the chicken and pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve.
Preparation Tips
- Cut the chicken into thin slices so it cooks evenly and quickly.
- If you prefer not to use wine, replace it with 1/4 cup of chicken broth.
- Remember to reserve 1 cup of pasta water. This is excellent for thinning the pasta sauce to your desired consistency. Slide a large bowl under the colander before you drain the pasta, and you won’t forget.
- Mushrooms are like sponges, so lightly rinse them to remove the dirt and promptly dry them with paper towels. If preferred, you can wipe them clean with a damp paper towel. Never soak them in water.
Recipe Variations
- 2/3 cup frozen peas added with the cream.
- Chopped asparagus added with the onions and mushrooms
- Add a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper or sriracha with the other spices.
- Capers added at the end with the chicken and chopped parsley
- Diced red bell peppers added a few minutes after the mushrooms and onions
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
While you can freeze pasta with cream in it, it will likely separate, and the texture and appearance will change.
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
Mushroom Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thin slices
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup chopped shallots or yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions and drain well.
- Meanwhile, salt and pepper the chicken on both sides. Lightly sprinkle the chicken with paprika. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken and brown it on both sides. Work in batches, and do not crowd the pan. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in the same skillet. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until the mushrooms are browned and the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, dried thyme, and dried oregano. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the chicken broth and heavy cream and gently simmer until reduced by almost half. Slowly stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Add the chicken and pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- Cut the chicken into thin slices so it cooks evenly and quickly.
- A good dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio works well with this recipe. Make sure that the quality of the wine is good enough that you would drink it.
- If you prefer not to use wine replace it with 1/4 cup more chicken broth.
- I like to use rigatoni or penne pasta for this recipe, but you could also use mostaccioli or ziti. Cook it al dente according to package instructions.
- Don’t forget to reserve 1 cup of pasta water. It is great for thinning the pasta sauce to your desired consistency. Slide a large bowl under the colander before you drain the pasta, and you won’t forget.
- Mushrooms are like sponges, so lightly rinse them to remove the dirt and promptly dry them with paper towels. If preferred, you can wipe them clean with a damp paper towel. Never soak them in water.
Nutrition
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Jenny
I love this chicken and mushroom pasta! It is quick, easy and tastes delicious! It is a keeper!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jenny! So glad that you liked it!
Hailey
What an absolutely comforting dish! This was the perfect weeknight dinner for the family…it really hit the spot on this cold winter night! Thank you, Beth!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Hailey!
Florence
This recipe is delicious and very moreish. I love the creamy sauce with the chicken and mushrooms and shallots. It is proper comfort food!
Beth Pierce
I agree Florence!
Angela Cris
This chicken pasta was fabulous! Love the creamy white wine Parmesan sauce. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Angela!
Jen
This recipe was so delicious! I love mushrooms and creamy pasta and the husband loves chicken so it was the best of both worlds. I served it with a simple garden salad and sauteed asparagus! So yummy!
Beth Pierce
Sounds absolutely delicious!
Melanie E
This is such a lovely dish. the chicken and mushrooms combine really well with the pasta. The family loved it! I am going to try it with capers next time.
Beth Pierce
That is great! I love capers.
Trisha
This pasta dish was amazing! We love anything creamy with chicken and mushrooms. Next time I am going to add a few baby peas. I know it will be delicious!
Beth Pierce
That will be yummy! I love peas.
Loretta Andrews
I love a good creamy mushroom pasta and this one is outstanding. As per your suggestion I added a little chopped asparagus! This recipe is a must try.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Loretta!
Sidney D
Winner, winner, chicken dinner. This is definitely a new family favorite. Thanks for the great recipe!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Sidney!
Erin Snelling
Such a satisfying dish! I’m definitely making this again! We loved it!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Erin! So glad that you liked it!
Gust
The Chicken Mushroom Pasta was absolutely delicious! The sauce was creamy and flavorful, and the combination of chicken and mushrooms was perfect.
Sophia Wells
Made this last night and everyone loved it! Quick and easy to make and it had so much flavor!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sophia! I am so glad that you liked it!
Avery Wills
so creamy and we loved the flavor! This is going to be a regular. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Avery!
Gracie
Everyone loved this at our last gathering – now my son makes it for his family too.
Jenny
I used oatmilk and added about 1/2 cup of cream cheese. Everything else was the same. It turned out well. It reminds me of a fancier version of chicken a la king.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jenny! So glad that you liked it!
Sharon
This looks so yummy. I was wondering what you think about making the recipe, minus the pasta, and refrigerating it overnight. Then cooking pasta, heating the refrigerated recipe and combining at time of serving. This way it would make a fantastically easy meal when having company because all the work is done the day before.
Beth Pierce
Sometimes recipes with heavy cream in them do not reheat as well as they did the first time around so that might be a little bit of a gamble.