Chicken & Mushroom Pasta Recipe Worth Craving

Why You’ll Love This this Chicken & Mushroom Pasta

This pasta hits all the right notes with tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, and fresh herbs dancing together in a wine-kissed sauce that somehow makes weeknight dinner feel fancy.

The cherry tomatoes add these perfect little bursts of sweetness while the Parmesan brings that salty, nutty finish that makes you want to lick the bowl (though I won’t judge if you do).

It’s one of those recipes that looks impressive enough for company but simple enough that you won’t spend your entire evening chopping, stirring, and wondering why you didn’t just order pizza instead.

Ingredients List

This chicken and mushroom pasta comes together with simple, fresh ingredients that you probably already have hanging out in your kitchen.

• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size strips
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, shredded
• 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, snipped
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Ingredient Considerations:

• Lean chicken breast provides plenty of protein without excess saturated fat
• Fresh herbs and cherry tomatoes pack in vitamins and antioxidants while keeping sodium naturally low
• Using just a touch of olive oil and relying on wine and broth for flavor means you’re not drowning everything in heavy cream
• The mushrooms add meaty texture and umami without any extra calories, plus they’re loaded with nutrients like selenium and B vitamins

Step by Step Directions

This chicken and mushroom pasta delivers restaurant-quality flavor in about 30 minutes with a simple one-skillet technique.

• Cook the pasta: Prepare 8 ounces penne pasta according to package directions, drain, and return to saucepan to keep warm.
• Season and cook chicken: Season 1 lb chicken breast strips with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken and minced garlic, and cook for 5 minutes until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
• Sauté vegetables: Add remaining olive oil to the same skillet and cook sliced mushrooms and onion until just tender, stirring occasionally.
• Create the sauce: Carefully add chicken broth and white wine to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer revealed for 2 minutes until liquid reduces by half.
• Combine everything: Remove skillet from heat and add the cooked pasta, chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, shredded basil, and fresh oregano. Toss everything together to coat evenly.
• Serve: Transfer to a serving dish and top with grated parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

For easier pasta preparation next time, consider investing in a quality KitchenAid stand mixer that can help with making fresh pasta dough from scratch.

Substitutions and Variations

• Make it creamy: Stir in a few tablespoons of cream cheese or heavy cream at the end for a luxurious sauce that coats everything like a silky blanket.

Your family will think you’ve been secretly attending culinary school.

• Add some heat: Red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeño will wake things up nicely.

Sometimes we all need a little fire in our lives, even if it’s just in our pasta.

Additional Things to Serve With This Dish

This pasta is pretty hearty on its own, but a few simple sides can turn it into a proper feast.

• Garlic bread or crusty Italian bread – Because to be frank, we all need something to soak up every last drop of that garlicky goodness at the bottom of the bowl.
• Simple green salad with vinaigrette – The crisp lettuce and tangy dressing cut through the richness perfectly, plus it makes you feel like you’re getting your vegetables.
• Roasted asparagus or green beans – Toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast until they’re tender with slightly crispy edges.
• Caesar salad – The creamy, garlicky dressing plays nicely with the pasta’s flavors, and those crunchy croutons add texture.
• Steamed broccoli with lemon – Sometimes the simplest sides are the best, and that bright lemon juice brightens up the whole meal.
• A nice glass of white wine – The same kind you used in the recipe works beautifully, though I won’t judge if you drink it straight from the bottle while cooking.

Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)

A few simple tricks can turn this good pasta into an absolutely stunning one.

• Don’t skip the pasta water – Save a cup of that starchy, salty liquid before you drain, because it’s liquid gold for bringing everything together if your pasta seems dry.
• Cut your chicken evenly – Those bite-size strips should actually be bite-size, not chunks that require a steak knife to tackle, and keeping them uniform means they’ll cook at the same rate.
• Let your mushrooms breathe – Overcrowd them in the pan and they’ll steam instead of getting those beautiful golden edges, so cook them in batches if you need to.
• Taste as you go – That chicken broth and wine reduction can vary wildly depending on your heat level, so give it a taste before you add everything back in.
• Fresh herbs at the end – Basil and oregano lose their punch when they’re cooked too long, so stir them in right before serving to keep that bright, fresh flavor.
• Room temperature cheese melts better – Pull that Parmesan out of the fridge while you’re prepping, because cold cheese just sits on top like sad little pebbles instead of melting into creamy goodness.
• Medium-high heat is your friend – Too low and everything gets mushy, too high and you’ll burn the garlic before the chicken cooks through.

Nutritional Facts

This hearty pasta dish delivers a well-balanced mix of protein, carbs, and vegetables in every serving.

• Calories per serving: Approximately 485 calories (based on 4 servings)
• Protein powerhouse: Each portion provides about 32 grams of protein from the chicken breast, supporting muscle maintenance and keeping you satisfied.
• Carbohydrate content: Around 48 grams per serving from the penne pasta, providing sustained energy.
• Fat breakdown: About 14 grams total fat per serving, with most coming from heart-healthy olive oil.
• Fiber boost: Roughly 3 grams of fiber from the vegetables and whole ingredients.
• Sodium levels: Approximately 380mg per serving, which is moderate and can be reduced by using low-sodium chicken broth.
• Vitamin highlights: Rich in B vitamins from the chicken, folate from the pasta, and vitamin C from fresh tomatoes and basil.
• Mineral content: Good source of selenium from mushrooms, potassium from tomatoes, and calcium from Parmesan cheese.
• Antioxidant benefits: Cherry tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs provide compounds that support overall health.
• Low sugar: Contains only about 6 grams of natural sugars, primarily from the vegetables.

Fun “Did You Know?”

While you’re savoring this delicious chicken and mushroom pasta, you’re actually enjoying ingredients with fascinating histories and surprising facts.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that mushrooms aren’t vegetables—they’re fungi, more closely related to animals than plants.

Here’s another shocker: pasta wasn’t invented in Italy! Marco Polo brought noodles from China in the 13th century.

Basil’s name comes from the Greek word “basileus,” meaning king, because ancient Greeks considered it royal.

Cherry tomatoes are actually closer to the original tomato than large varieties.

Finally, Parmesan takes at least 12 months to age properly.