Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Pasta

• 400 gtagliatelle
• 3chicken breasts (about 450g), sliced
• 150 mlhot chicken stock
• 300 gchestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 1small onion, finely chopped
• 2garlic cloves, crushed
• 200 mldouble cream
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 25 gbutter
• 50 ggrated Parmesan
• 10 gfresh parsley, chopped (optional) (optional)
• 1 tsplemon juice (optional, to brighten) (optional)
• Fine salt and black pepper
• 1small ciabatta (optional)
• 200 grocket, dressed with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus 30 g shaved parmesan (optional)

Method

1. 1Bring the cooking water to a rolling boil. Salt the water before adding the pasta. 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. 2While 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. 3Lay 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. 4Drop 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. 5Pour 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. 6Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan and simmer gently for 2 minutes so the meat heats through and the sauce clings. If using the optional lemon juice, stir it in off the heat to brighten the sauce.
7. 7Tip 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. 8Plate the pasta into warm bowls. Add the optional chopped parsley if using, and serve with the optional ciabatta and dressed rocket and Parmesan salad.

Per serving

kcal

974

protein

61.6g

fibre

4.8g

carbs

82.2g

fat

42.3g