I was trying to think of something to make for supper before we left the house this morning, so I hauled a couple of chicken breasts out of the freezer to thaw. I figured we would decide whether to make chicken souvlaki, or butter chicken or chicken burgers while we did our weekly shopping. We talked it over and realized  we haven’t had pasta for a while, so I decided to make something with chicken and penne. I knew I had cream, parmesan and mushrooms in the fridge, so I didn’t need to pick up anything.
Chicken Mushroom Penne Pasta (for 2)
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless), cubed
- 6-8 large mushrooms, cut in chunks
- 2 garlic cloves (grated or pressed)
- 3/4cup – 1 cup grated parmesan (loosely packed)
- 3/4 cup light cream (10{b5e9da418c41db5965ba6ae41e0262802c569d7c3fb12d2aa915c31c71481173})
- 2 cups penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups spinach (optional)
I used two woks and a 2 quart pot. I started by boiling the water for the pasta, and once it was boiling and salted, I added the pasta and set the timer for 13 minutes. I then heated a wok over medium heat and added the olive oil. I sauteed  the chicken for a couple of minutes, then added the mushrooms, and put a lid over it for 2 minutes. Then stirred and put the lid back on (the lid keeps the moisture from evaporating). Once the chicken was cooked and it and the mushrooms were starting to brown, I put it on the back burner on low heat. I then put the cream in the other wok over medium heat and added the garlic. As it started to bubble, I added parmesan, about a tablespoon at a time, stirring it in and using a spatula to bring it down from the sides. As it thickened, I stirred almost constantly. It was ready at roughly the same time as the pasta was al dente, so I drained the pasta, and let it sit for a minute while I added the mushroom and chicken to the sauce. Then I added the spinach and let it wilt. I served this over the penne, though you could stir it in if you prefer.
This would have been even better if I had sauteed half an onion (diced) with the chicken and mushrooms. (I didn’t have any onions at the time). I think it would also be nice with the addition of some sundried tomatoes near the end.
Any suggestions?