A Pasta Dish for That “Fun Guy”: Mixed Mushroom & Chicken Pasta

Mixed Mushroom and Chicken Pasta

A great new deli just opened in my neighborhood, Ravenswood, to much acclaim. Time Out Chicago called City Provisions deli “the best thing to happen to food shops in Ravenswood—heck, this whole town—in a long, long time.” With this much hype surrounding a deli opening, I knew it really had to be something special.

Showcasing house-butchered and homemade deli meats, local cheeses, artisanal grocery items and regional beers and wines, this place has something to offer both foodies and the average housewife. I stopped in early one morning to check the place out for myself. The deli’s owner, Cleetus, was chatting with me within moments after I walked in the door. He described all the deli meats and cheeses, and I was quick to snatch up some deliciously salty duck prosciutto and wonderfully tangy buttermilk blue cheese.

And then, I saw them: the pints of fresh picked cremini and shiitake mushrooms. These were some of the most gorgeous mushrooms I’d seen in a long time. I’d picked up some similar beauties last year at the Green City Market and whipped up some pasta ai funghi, or pasta with mushrooms, and I had never finished writing the recipe.

I instantly knew those mushrooms were destined to star in my revised recipe for Mixed Mushroom and Chicken Pasta. I invited my best gal Laura over to join in the recipe testing, because mushrooms are on her list of favorite foods. We oohed and ahhed as the dish came together, taking time to inhale the earthy aroma of the sautéed mushrooms and shallots and sigh at the beauty of fresh picked fungi. Believe me, you’ll be doing the same thing when you make this dish.

Mixed Mushroom and Chicken Pasta
Beef tenderloin tips would be a great substitute for the chicken in this recipe. Click here to download a copy of this recipe.

1 Tbs. olive oil
¾ lb boneless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb mushrooms (baby bella, crimini, etc.)
3 shallots or 1 med onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 heaping tablespoon flour
1.5 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
2 tsp. fresh sage
1 lb. pasta
¾ c.  dry white wine
¾ c. of chicken stock
¼ c. heavy cream
Grated Parmesan for garnish.
Fresh parsley, for garnish

Boil the pasta water. Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil. Clean and quarter the mushrooms.

I used a combo of shiitake and cremini mushrooms for my pasta

Quartered mushrooms

Cook the chicken. Meanwhile, salt and pepper chicken tenders. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat, then add oil. When the oil’s hot, add the chicken. Sauté until golden brown and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and put on a plate. Cover with foil. Return skillet to heat.

Brown the chicken

Sauté the mushrooms. Add the butter to the skillet. Once it’s melted, add garlic. Sauté 1 minute. Add onion, sauté 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and season with salt. Sauté the mushrooms until they are soft and dark and the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Season with the fresh sage and thyme.

 

Add mushrooms and shallots to skillet over medium-high heat to brown and soften

 

The mushrooms will brown and soften after a few minutes

Cook the pasta. Salt the boiling water well and cook the pasta in the pot while you’re finishing the sauce. Drain the pasta when its al dente, reserving some of the starchy pasta water in case you need to thin out the mushroom sauce.

Finish the sauce. Add the flour to the skillet, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the wine to the skillet, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce until almost completely evaporated. Add the chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens and is reduced by about half.

The reduced mushroom sauce

The mixed mushroom sauce

Combine and serve. Add the pasta and the chicken to the sauce, tossing to combine until the chicken is warmed through.

 

Mix in the pasta with the mushroom sauce, adding additional pasta water to thin it out if necessary

Add the chicken, toss, and garnish the pasta with Parmesan and chopped parsley