Easy Chicken Mushroom Pasta

This Easy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta is a cozy, weeknight dinner that comes together in 30 minutes. It’s made with tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, and your favorite jarred sauce, transformed into a luscious creamy pink sauce that feels indulgent without being heavy.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken and mushroom pasta, chicken mushroom pasta no cream, creamy chicken mushroom pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 520kcal

Author Maria Doss

Ingredients

8 ounces penne pasta
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
8 to 10 ounces white mushrooms sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 to 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped into bite-sized cubes
½ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the sauce

1 ¾ cups marinara sauce I used Prego, tomato, basil & garlic
1 cup heavy cream or use canned coconut milk
½ cup chicken stock or use pasta water
½ to 1 teaspoon salt adjust based on the type of sauce & stock used
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the rest

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves chopped

Instructions

Cook pasta. Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain.
8 ounces pasta
Cook mushrooms. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to turn golden around the edges. Transfer the mushrooms to a separate bowl and set aside.
8 to 10 ounces mushrooms
Cook chicken. Heat the butter in the same skillet over high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then flip the chicken. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook, tossing occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the chicken is about three-quarters cooked.
2 tablespoon butter, 1 to 2 chicken breasts, ½ cup onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Cook sauce. Stir in all the sauce ingredients and give everything a good mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 5–8 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
1 ¾ cups marinara sauce, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup stock
Finish. Add the cooked pasta, mushrooms, Parmesan, and basil. Toss everything together until well coated, then remove from the heat. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
½ cup parmesan

Video

Notes

Make it healthy – Use canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream.

To save time you can also buy fresh pre-sliced mushrooms at the grocery store.

Chicken stock – We used 33% reduced sodium stock. If you are using regular or no sodium stock then adjust salt accordingly.

Make it healthier – Use 1 cup canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream. It tastes just as delicious.

Jarred sauce – We used Prego sauce (tomato, basil and garlic).

Nutrition