Chicken and Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce

So the first recipe I thought I'd share is a homemade mushroom cream sauce. I should preface this by saying that it's always challenging for me to make dishes like this for my boyfriend. Unless his tongue is falling off from how spicy something is, he's usually not satisfied -  So, I knew I had my work cutout for me with this dish. (And for the record - I succeeded).

For this recipe, although I would have loved to have made my own pasta (a feat I have yet to conquer), I used the good 'ol fashion store bought kind instead. This particular night I used spinach tortellini because we had some in the freezer (actually we had about 5 containers of it in the freezer - courtesy of my boyfriend's mother - she must know how much I love pasta). If you haven't stocked up on frozen pasta already, then I would recommend buying either the Bertolli mushroom stuffed raviolis, or gnocchis (my personal favorite). Personally I think any pasta would work with this sauce, and if you are looking for something healthier I would go with a whole wheat pasta.

So, start off by picking a pasta, and boiling a pot of water. (If you choose ravioli, gnocchi or tortellini, make sure not to put the pasta in too soon since it doesn't need a lot of time to cook).

For the sauce I would suggest using a medium non-stick skillet, heated over medium or medium-low heat. Pour a little EVOO into the pan, wait a minute or two for the oil to warm up, and then add chopped onions. I used a yellow onion, which is sweeter in taste. If you use a smaller yellow onion you can add almost the whole thing. If you decide to use one of the larger white ones, then only add about half of it.

In a separate skillet heat up some more EVOO and the cubed chicken (seasoned with garlic salt and pepper), cook until done, and set aside.

Chicken Sauteing 

Allow the onions to cook until they are translucent in color. While they cook you should add your pasta to the boiling water. After the onions have some time to cook (usually around 5 minutes) add one clove of finely chopped garlic. I think now is a good time to confess that I use garlic in almost everything. I'm actually not a huge fan of adding salt to my food, but I instead add garlic salt to almost everything I make. I believe it is the single greatest thing ever created - aside from pasta of course. Also, I add garlic salt to my pasta water - it gives the pasta a hint of garlic flavor. That being said, in addition to adding the clove of garlic, I would also sprinkle the onions with a little garlic salt and some pepper. After you add the garlic, add the mushrooms as well. 

For the mushrooms I recommend buying one of the cartons of pre-sliced mushrooms, and then just chop them up smaller before adding to the skillet (add one carton). Continue to let everything cook until the mushrooms soften.

Mushroom Cream Sauce

Once the mushrooms soften, add approximately 1/3 cup of white wine. I used Pinot Grigio because I wanted to drink some afterwards, but it really doesn't make a difference. Let the wine cook into the ingredients for around 3 minutes, and then add 1/2 cup of cream. I used light cream, but if you prefer an even thicker sauce (and you don't care about your thighs) than use heavy cream. Mix in the cream and a little bit of Parmesan cheese (if you want to get creative you can experiment with different grated cheeses - I'm a huge fan of Asiago cheese), turn off the heat, and mix in your pasta and chicken.

Voila!

Although this meal can stand on it's own, due to the heartiness of the sauce, if you want to serve a side dish I would recommend either a light salad (with some fresh mushrooms on top), or just a steamed vegetable. 

If you're looking for a quick and easy meal I would definitely recommend this! It took practically no time at all, and was delicious! Enjoy!

Ingredient List:

1 package of Bertolli Mushroom Raviolis

1 package of pre-sliced mushrooms
1 - 2 boneless chicken breasts

1 bottle of Pinot Grigio (1/3 for recipe - the rest for drinking)

1/2 cup light cream

1 yellow onion

1 clove garlic

Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper

EVOO