Description
Tender marinated chicken cubes and sautéed mushrooms tossed in a creamy, cheesy sauce with pasta for a comforting and flavorful weeknight meal.
Ingredients
250 g boneless chicken breast, cubed
¼ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
⅛ tsp red chili powder
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
1 Tbsp oil (for cooking chicken)
45 ml water
220 g dry pasta
½ Tbsp oil
20 g unsalted butter
60 g onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
120 g mushrooms, sliced
1 small green bell pepper, sliced
6 g all-purpose flour
315 ml whole milk
50 ml heavy cream
50 g cream cheese
¼ tsp mixed herbs
¼ tsp black pepper
2 pinches red chili flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ chicken stock cube
50 g cheddar cheese
10 g grated parmesan
Extra parmesan for serving
100 ml reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Season chicken with paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, chili powder, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Toss and let sit.
- Cook pasta in salted water until slightly underdone. Drain, rinse with cold water, and reserve 100 ml pasta water.
- Heat oil in a pan, cook chicken over medium-high heat ~3 minutes. Add 45 ml water, cover and simmer 3–4 minutes until water evaporates. Set chicken aside.
- In same pan, heat oil and butter. Sauté onion and garlic ~1.5 minutes until light golden.
- Add mushrooms and bell pepper, cook ~1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour, stir 30 seconds.
- Gradually whisk in milk, simmer until sauce thickens.
- Add cream, cream cheese, black pepper, mixed herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes, and chicken stock cube. Simmer until bubbling and thickened.
- Remove from heat, stir in cheddar and parmesan until smooth.
- Add pasta, coat gently. Stir in reserved pasta water to desired consistency.
- Simmer 1–2 minutes to integrate flavors.
- Plate pasta, top with chicken, sprinkle extra parmesan, serve hot.
Notes
- Use penne, fusilli, or fettuccine as pasta alternatives.
- Swap cream cheese for mascarpone or goat cheese.
- Add veggies like peas, spinach, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Make vegetarian by omitting chicken and adding tofu or tempeh.
- Adjust heat by changing chili quantities.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Sautéing and Simmering
- Cuisine: Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg