This Mushroom Chicken Pasta has juicy chicken, savory mushrooms, and fresh spinach tossed in a delicious herb cream sauce! Make it with any kind of pasta for a restaurant-quality meal your family will love!
Be sure to try my French Onion Pasta and Marry Me Chicken Pasta recipe next!
Mushroom Chicken Pasta
This Mushroom Chicken Pasta is so flavorful. It has the most delicious herb cream sauce with fresh spinach, savory mushrooms, and juicy chicken!
You can’t beat the umami flavor that you get from those mushrooms, it’s such a special, subtle, unique flavor that pairs so well with everything else here!
The sauce has the best combination of herbs, and it’s creamy, but not too creamy. It’s a mixture of chicken broth and half and half, made more indulgent with some freshly grated parmesan cheese, (which also adds MORE umami)! 😁
I can’t wait for you to try it. Be sure to check out my pro tips below!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Sauté the mushrooms, then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Set aside. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and and season with salt/pepper. Sear the chicken in olive oil until cooked through, 5-6 minutes total.
Deglaze the skillet with white wine. Add the garlic and reduce the liquid by half.
Melt the butter and add the flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese into the sauce over low heat.
Add cooked pasta and toss to combine. Add the spinach, mushrooms, and chicken. Cover and let it heat through for 1-2 minutes. Serve!
Pro Tips
- Wine: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are the best options for this recipe, followed by Pinot Grigio. For a fun twist, use marsala or madeira wine! Non-alcoholic wine or chicken broth may also be used.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms work well in this, baby portabella mushrooms or cremini mushrooms are fantastic varieties too.
- If you must leave out the mushrooms: You can supplement with more spinach, or add sauteed zucchini or even sundried tomatoes instead!
- Spinach: Frozen spinach may also be used for this, let it thaw and pat it dry prior to using.
- Grate the cheese from a wedge and avoid using packaged grated cheese. It will melt and taste much better. I use Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
- Make sure the base of the sauce isn’t too hot when the cheese is added, or the dairy can separate and result in a grainy consistency.
- Pasta:Any variety of pasta can be used, penne and ziti are other great choices.
- Pasta Water: Always feel free to reserve pasta water as a precaution for creamy sauces. If the sauce becomes thick/clumpy, a small splash of pasta water will smooth it out.
- To make this with steak instead of chicken: Check out my Steak Pasta recipe!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave (I use “melt” mode which is lower power), or in a makeshift double boiler on the stovetop, which is an even better way to reheat.
- Cream sauces don’t always reheat quite back to their original consistency, but this one comes close!
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan– The same size as pictured in this recipe.
- Large Measuring Cup with a Spout -This is what I use to combine the sauce ingredients at the beginning. The spout makes it easy to add it to the roux in small splashes.
- Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
- Box cheese grater – This recipe should be made with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, as it tastes better and melts much creamier.
- 8-inch Chef’s Knife– This is the one I have, I love it.
- Pasta Strainer
- Meat Tenderizer
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth.
Try These Next
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Mushroom Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 ¼ cup half and half
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon EACH: dried basil, onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: salt, dried oregano, thyme, ground sage
Pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 8 oz. sliced white button mushrooms, cleaned and patted dry
- 2 cups spinach, packed
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup dry white wine, See notes.
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¾ lb. Farfalle pasta, see notes
Instructions
Prep Work
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
Cook the Mushrooms/Chicken
- Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, then lightly sprinkle with salt to enhance their flavor. Add the spinach and sauté for 2 more minutes, until the mushrooms are brown and the spinach is wilted. Remove and set aside.
- Cut the chicken into bite-size cubes and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, until a brown crust has developed. Remove and set aside.
Make the Sauce/Cook the Pasta
- Begin boiling a pot of water for the pasta. Once a boil is reached, stir in salt. (I use ½ tbsp. kosher salt.)
- Meanwhile, add the white wine and garlic to the skillet and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet. Let it reduce by half, about 4 minutes.
- Add the butter and let it melt. Add the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes, until it begins to brown.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Simmer, partially covered, while you cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain once cooked.
- Gradually sprinkle the Parmesan cheese into the sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta gradually, until your desired sauce/pasta ratio is obtained. (I prefer slightly less than ¾ lb.) Add the cooked mushrooms, spinach, and chicken and stir to combine. Cover partially and heat through for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve!
Notes
- Wine: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are the best options for this recipe, followed by Pinot Grigio. For a fun twist, use marsala or madeira wine! Non-alcoholic wine or chicken broth may also be used.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms work well in this, baby portabella mushrooms or cremini mushrooms are fantastic varieties too.
- If you must leave out the mushrooms: You can supplement with more spinach, or add sauteed zucchini or even sundried tomatoes instead!
- Spinach: Frozen spinach may also be used for this, let it thaw and pat it dry prior to using.
- Grate the cheese from a wedge and avoid using packaged grated cheese. It will melt and taste much better. I use Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
- Make sure the base of the sauce isn’t too hot when the cheese is added, or the dairy can separate and result in a grainy consistency.
- Pasta: Any variety of pasta can be used, penne and ziti are other great choices.
- Pasta Water: Always feel free to reserve pasta water as a precaution for creamy sauces. If the sauce becomes thick/clumpy, a small splash of pasta water will smooth it out.
- To make this with steak instead of chicken: Check out my Steak Pasta recipe!
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave (I use "melt" mode which is lower power), or in a makeshift double boiler on the stovetop, which is an even better way to reheat.
- Cream sauces don't always reheat quite back to their original consistency, but this one comes close!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 6 servings.
Thanks for another “killer” dish, Stephanie. It was amazing! I added a coarsely-chopped onion, during the saute step and before wilting the spinach. For me, adding an onion always seems to enhance the flavor with any meat or poultry dish. All servings were topped with chopped bacon for a little crunchiness, along side a warm loaf of crusty Italian bread.
Sounds fabulous! Thanks so much for trying it!