Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Fettuccine

Golden pan-seared chicken on a tangle of fettuccine in a silky garlic-mushroom cream sauce. It feels like a restaurant dinner, and it is on the table in about half an hour.

Everything happens in one pan while the pasta boils, which is exactly my kind of weeknight cooking.

Ingredients

• 12 oz (340 g) fettuccine
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 tsp each paprika, garlic powder and dried thyme
• 9 oz (250 g) mushrooms, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• ½ cup (120 ml) chicken stock
• ¾ cup (75 g) grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp butter and a splash of olive oil
• Fresh parsley, salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the fettuccine in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water.
2. Season the chicken with the spices, salt and pepper. Sear in olive oil for 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Rest, then slice.
3. In the same pan, melt the butter and cook the mushrooms until deeply browned. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
4. Pour in the stock and cream and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan until smooth.
5. Toss the pasta through the sauce, loosening with pasta water as needed.
6. Top with the sliced chicken, parsley and plenty of black pepper.

Lily’s tips

• Don’t crowd the mushrooms — give them space and they will brown instead of steam.
• Pasta water is the secret to a glossy sauce that clings.
• Swap the chicken for shrimp for an even quicker version.