This creamy mushroom pasta with caramelized onion and chicken totally fits the bill when you want something that’s cozy and delicious. There’s a certain magic in these rich, hearty cold-weather dishes, the ones that have that special “stick-to-your-ribs” quality that give you the comfort your soul craves.

Since mushrooms and cream are a culinary match made in heaven, the combination of these two ingredients are an obvious one.. Add some pasta, caramelized onions and tender chicken, and you’ve got the ultimate cozy meal for a relaxed night in. For a vegetarian twist, you can skip the chicken—this dish is all yours to make exactly how you please! The mushrooms I’ve used in this recipe are just a guideline, so feel free to use any variety you like.

Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Caramelized Onion and Chicken

Ingredients

• 500 grams penne rigate or farfalle pasta, you can also use my homemade tagliatelle
• 1 small brown or white onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• ½ cup white wine (substitute with water)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• a fat pinch of salt
• 200 grams brown button mushrooms, brushed of any debris and sliced
• 100 grams king oyster mushrooms, brushed of any debris and sliced
• 100 grams shitake mushrooms, sliced into halves or kept whole if small
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes, optional
• 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
• 400 grams shredded cooked chicken breast – leftover roasted chicken or grilled chicken work well here
• ½ cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling on the pasta
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat half the butter in a large sauté pan over medium. Add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes or until soft.  Add the garlic and white wine or water and keep sautéing for another five minutes until the onions have softened and are starting to caramelize.

Meanwhile in another large pan, heat the olive oil and remaining butter over medium high heat.  Add half the mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. This should take about ten minutes. Remove the mushrooms and set aside, repeat with the other half. Alternatively to save on time, you can cook the mushrooms in two separate pans. You don’t want to cook all the mushrooms in one pan as they might swell and steam instead of brown.

Add the chili flakes if using and the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer.  Add the shredded chicken and the onions and heat through. Set aside, turn off the heat, cover and keep warm while you boil your pasta.

In a large pot of boiling, well-salted water, boil your pasta according to package instructions. Drain, and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water for later. 

Add the pasta to the mushroom cream sauce and stir a pinch of salt, pepper and parmigiana Reggiano. Add a little bit of the pasta water to loosen the sauce. Give it a taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Divide among serving bowls and serve immediately.

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