Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

Last updated: 14th Aug 2026

Creamy chicken and mushroom pasta is a straightforward midweek dinner made with familiar ingredients. Browning the chicken and mushrooms first adds savoury flavour before the cream, stock and Parmesan are stirred in to make the sauce.

Penne works particularly well because the sauce clings to the ridges and fills the pasta tubes, but fusilli or rigatoni are good alternatives. Keep a little pasta cooking water before draining so you can loosen the sauce if it thickens too much.

Serve straight away with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan if you like. Cool leftovers promptly and keep them covered in the fridge for up to two days, then reheat thoroughly until piping hot.

Ingredients

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the penne according to the packet instructions until al dente. Reserve about 150ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
2. While the pasta cooks, season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the butter and mushrooms to the same pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the mushrooms are golden and most of their moisture has cooked away.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
5. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the base of the pan.
6. Stir in the double cream and Parmesan. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.
7. Return the chicken to the pan, add the drained pasta and toss everything together. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
8. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Scatter over the parsley, if using, and serve immediately with extra Parmesan if you like.