🍄 Creamy One-Pot Pasta with Chicken and Mushrooms

← Recipes · Week of Jun 1–7

Mark Bittman — NYT Cooking · Original Recipe

~30 min, one pot, hearty. Serves 4.

🧑‍🍳 Mise en Place

Prep order (do this first → last):

  1. Fill kettle and set to boil (use hot stock — saves minutes)
  2. Measure out stock and wine so they’re ready at the stove
  3. Dice shallot, mince garlic, slice mushrooms
  4. Brown diced chicken first (see tip below), then set aside — do not follow the recipe’s raw-at-the-end instruction
  5. Grate Parmesan while the pasta simmers

Prepped ingredients (have these ready):

IngredientPrep
1 shallot or small onionFinely diced (¼”)
1 tbsp garlicMinced (~3 cloves)
2 cups mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, or button)Wiped clean, stems trimmed, sliced ¼” thick
½ lb dried pasta (gemelli or penne)Measured out — no prep needed
½ cup dry white wineOpen, measured in a cup
3–4 cups chicken or vegetable stockHot (from kettle — use boiling water kettle to speed up)
2 boneless chicken thighsDiced ½”, seasoned with salt + pepper
Parmesan (optional)Grated (~¼ cup)
Fresh parsley (optional)Chopped (~2 tbsp)

⚠️ Key tip (from hundreds of reviewers):

The recipe says to add raw chicken at the end, but it takes too long to cook through and risks overcooking the pasta. Instead:

  1. Sear diced chicken in 1 tbsp oil over medium-high — 2-3 min, just browned, not cooked through
  2. Remove chicken to a plate
  3. Proceed with recipe (shallot → garlic → mushrooms → pasta + stock)
  4. Add chicken back at the same point you’d add it raw (~3 min before pasta is done)

This gives better browning = better flavor. The blandness complaints in reviews overwhelmingly come from people who followed the raw-at-the-end instruction.

Streamlining tips:

  • Grate Parmesan while the pasta simmers (you’ll be stirring for ~10 min anyway)
  • One pot = minimal cleanup
  • Great candidate for extra seasoning: add ½ tsp dried thyme and a pinch of red pepper flakes with the shallots

🛒 Shopping List

🥬 Produce

  • 1 shallot or small onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups cremini, shiitake, or button mushrooms
  • Fresh parsley (optional)

🥩 Protein

  • 2 boneless chicken thighs

🥫 Pantry

  • Olive oil
  • ½ lb gemelli or penne pasta
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 3–4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • Salt and black pepper

🧀 Dairy

  • Parmesan (optional)

Ingredients (per NYT)

  • 2 tbsp olive oil, more as needed
  • 1 shallot or small onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 cups cremini, shiitake or button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, sliced
  • ½ lb cut pasta like gemelli or penne
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup dry white wine or water
  • 3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 boneless chicken thighs, diced
  • Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
  • Freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

Method

  1. Put 2 tbsp olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add shallot, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften and begin to brown on edges, ~10 minutes.
  2. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until glossy and coated with oil, 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add wine, stir, let bubble away.
  3. Ladle stock into skillet ½ cup at a time, stirring after each addition and every minute or so. When liquid is nearly evaporated, add more. Keep at medium, stir frequently.
  4. Begin tasting pasta 10 minutes after adding it. When ~3-4 minutes from done, add chicken and stir. Cook until chicken is done and pasta is tender. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan.

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