Description
This Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken Cavatappi is a comforting and flavorful pasta dish featuring tender chicken breast, sautéed mushrooms, and a rich, creamy garlic mushroom sauce blended with Parmesan cheese. Perfect for a hearty weeknight dinner, this recipe combines simple ingredients into a luscious, satisfying meal with a hint of Italian seasoning.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 16 oz cavatappi pasta
- Salt for pasta water, to taste
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut tender-style
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Onion powder, to taste
- Paprika, to taste
- Italian seasoning, to taste
Sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- Sliced mushrooms (amount as desired, approximately 8 oz)
- ~17 g minced fresh garlic (about 4 cloves)
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
- 1/4–1/2 cup water
- 6 oz shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4–1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- Parsley flakes, for garnish
- Crushed red pepper, optional for heat
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Heat a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat and add olive oil. Season one side of the chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Place the chicken seasoned side down once the oil is hot. Cook for 4–6 minutes per side until fully cooked through, then remove from the pan and let rest.
- Boil Pasta: While the chicken cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Prepare Sauce Base: Lower heat under the chicken pan to low and melt butter. While the butter melts, slice or dice the rested chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté Mushrooms: Increase heat to medium or medium-high and add sliced mushrooms to the pan in a flat, even layer. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, stir, then repeat until mushrooms are golden brown and cooked through.
- Add Garlic: Add minced fresh garlic to the mushrooms and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Make Creamy Sauce: Stir in the cream of mushroom soup and add 1/4 cup water to thin the sauce. Increase water up to 1/2 cup as needed until desired thickness is achieved. Bring the sauce to a simmer, cover the pan, and stir every 2–3 minutes to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
- Incorporate Cheese: Stir in shredded Parmesan cheese gradually until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Cook Pasta and Reserve Water: Add cavatappi pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4–1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Adjust Sauce Consistency: Add small splashes of reserved pasta water to the sauce to thin and emulsify it, helping it cling beautifully to the pasta.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Return the sliced chicken pieces to the sauce and let everything heat together on low-medium heat for 3–5 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Toss and Serve: Toss the creamy garlic mushroom chicken sauce together with the cooked cavatappi pasta. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes. Optionally, sprinkle crushed red pepper for a touch of heat.
Notes
- Using reserved pasta water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and gives a silky texture that smooths out the sauce.
- Cooking the chicken and making the sauce in the same pan captures and layers flavors effectively.
- Adjust the amount of water in the sauce to reach your preferred consistency.
- Sliced mushrooms can be adjusted in quantity to your liking; more mushrooms add earthiness to the dish.
- For a spicier kick, add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.