Just wanted to share this delicious dish that we had for dinner last night (minus the mushrooms at our house, since we’re not super fond of them). It was so tasty, so easy, and so quick to prepare! I used it for my next “recipe of the month” which I contribute regularly to our local neighborhood magazine. Now I am sharing it with you ─ enjoy!
12 ounces fettuccine pasta
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste (plus some extra salt for the pasta water) 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or to taste
1 medium yellow onion, very finely chopped
1 pound cleaned and trimmed white mushrooms, thickly sliced (optional)
3 large cloves fresh garlic, finely-minced
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or to taste
1/2 tsp freshly-ground nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
Fresh Italian parsley sprigs, to garnish
Cook pasta ─ not quite to the al dente stage ─ in plenty of salted, boiling water. Drain it well, then set it aside and keep warm. Season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken just until lightly golden and cooked through (about 5 minutes). Remove chicken from the pan; cover and keep warm.
Add the remaining olive oil and the butter to the pan drippings. Sauté onion 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat just until softened. Add mushrooms and sauté until softened (5-7 minutes), stirring often. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add cream and simmer over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. Add cheese; stir gently until it melts and blends into the sauce. Add cooked chicken, nutmeg and chopped parsley to the pan; adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Add cooked pasta and stir gently to combine, thoroughly covering pasta with sauce. Heat just until warmed through (1-2 minutes), then cover the pan, turn off the heat, and let the pasta rest 5-10 minutes. Stir again before serving. Garnish each serving with a sprig of fresh parsley. ─ Serves 6-8