I love one pot and one pan meals. With such a hectic schedule, there’s not much time in my day to dedicate to cooking and cleaning regularly. As my patience approaches critical mass and all I want is to order pizza, I pull out one of my quick-and-painless recipes to throw on the stove and let it go. This one-pot chicken and mushroom pasta is a great way to get everything thrown into a single pan and let it go. It just needs a few stirs to keep the pasta from sticking together. Before you know it, you’ll have a meal that only took as much effort as deciding what pizza to order for your whole family.
This one is my favorite, and my kids think it’s excellent! (They’ll always prefer spaghetti, though. What can you do?) This creamy chicken mushroom pasta is cheesy, filling, and the mushrooms add a fantastic earthy flavor to the dish. My partner always requests it for date night. He thinks that it’s the best Italian style pasta without the big bill at the end!
Just a quick note for anyone who hasn’t made a one-pot pasta dish before — this recipe needs the appropriate amount of liquid, or the pasta won’t cook all the way through! That’s the bonus of the one-pot dinner. You don’t have to drain it. But it does have a tendency to leave the sauce tasting a little starchy. While my family and I don’t think that it takes from the dish in the slightest, it is something to take note of before you try it.
Also, my recipe calls for brown mushrooms and heavy cream to make it extra creamy! Don’t be afraid to sub in white sliced mushrooms and any other cream if you prefer something different. Just make sure that you use the same amount of liquid, and you’ll be all set.
One Pot Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
Serves 6 people
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, boneless (skinless as well if you’d like)
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp oil, divided
1 Tbsp of onion
1 Tbsp of minced garlic (or about 3 to 4 cloves of garlic)
1 quart of chicken broth, divided
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup of milk
4 cups of penne pasta (around 10 oz)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Add 2 tsp of oil Season the chicken with the dried basil and the salt and pepper. Add 2 tsp of oil to a large saucepan or pot. Once the pot is heated, add the chicken thighs, cooking through until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove from the pan.
- Add the remaining 1 tsp of oil to the pot before adding the onions and garlic. Fry until the onions are transparent and the garlic is fragrant. Pour in ⅓ cup of chicken broth stir. Let the pan simmer for about 5 minutes until it starts to reduce down.
- Add the mushrooms to the mix and let them cook for about 5 minutes before adding in the rest of the reserved chicken broth, heavy cream, milk, salt and pepper to taste. Bring the pot to a simmer and add the pasta. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.
- Add the parmesan cheese and stir until it melts fully into the sauce. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Slice the chicken and add to the pasta. Serve it up and enjoy!
