Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients

• 400 g tagliatelle
• 3 chicken breasts (about 450g), sliced
• 150 ml hot chicken stock
• 300 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200 ml double cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25 g butter
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 10 g fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional, to brighten)
• Fine salt and black pepper
• 1 small ciabatta
• 200 g rocket, dressed with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus 30 g shaved parmesan

Method

1. Bring the cooking water to a rolling boil. Season the pasta itself. Cook the tagliatelle to the lower end of the pack timing for al dente, then scoop out 100ml of the starchy cooking water before draining.
2. While the pasta cooks, pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and black pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a large stainless or cast-iron pan over medium-high until the butter foams and stops hissing.
3. Lay the chicken in the pan in a single layer, working in two batches if you need to; crowd it and the pan drops temperature, water pours out, and you've poached the chicken instead of searing it. Fry for 5–6 minutes, turning once, until golden at the edges and just cooked through. Lift onto a plate to rest.
4. Drop the onion into the same pan and soften for about 4 minutes until translucent, scraping up the golden bits stuck to the base; that's the flavour. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Tip in the mushrooms and fry for 6–8 minutes, undisturbed at first, until they're deeply golden and any released liquid has evaporated.
5. Pour in the hot chicken stock and let it bubble hard for 2 minutes, scraping the base again to lift the fond into the sauce. Lower the heat, then stir in the double cream and Parmesan until the sauce turns silky and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
6. Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan and simmer gently for 2 minutes so the meat heats through and the sauce clings. Stir in the lemon juice off the heat; the acid keeps the dish balanced.
7. Tip in the drained tagliatelle and toss thoroughly, loosening with a splash of the reserved pasta water if it tightens. Every strand should be glossy, not gluey.
8. Plate the pasta into warm bowls, scatter generously with the chopped parsley and extra Parmesan, and serve straight away with warm ciabatta torn at the table and the rocket and Parmesan salad alongside.