Creamy Tuscan Pasta Sauce With Chicken And Balsamic Mushrooms Recipes

CREAMY BALSAMIC CHICKEN BACON MUSHROOM PASTA

Steps:

• Prep your bacon and chicken. Boil a large, salted pot of water and cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, add the bacon to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it's nice and crispy (about 7-10 minutes). Take the bacon out of the pan and set it aside.
• Drain some of the bacon fat off, still leaving enough to cook the mushrooms in. Sauté the mushrooms for about 3-4 minutes or until they start to release some of their water.
• Add the chicken in the pan and cook for another 4-5 minutes or so. Most of the liquid should be gone from the pan by now. If not, cook a little bit longer.
• Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook it for about a minute.
• Add the cream, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder to the pan. Give it a good stir (make sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan) and let it cook for 5 minutes or so (reduce heat if bubbling like crazy), taking care not to overcook the chicken.
• Stir in the parmesan cheese, bacon pieces, and season the sauce with salt & pepper as needed.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Toss the sauce with the pasta continuously for a minute or two (I used tongs) - this will help thicken the sauce a bit.

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PASTA WITH BALSAMIC CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook the orzo pasta or whatever grain you choose to make according to package instructions.
• Preheat a skillet or stove-top griddle over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil to coat pan/griddle. (Another option is to bake the chicken). Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. I do this by placing them one by one in a large ziploc and use my fist to pound them evenly or just buy thin cutlets instead of breasts. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes on each side depending on thickness. Place cooked chicken in large sheet of foil and wrap tight to keep warm while you prepare the sauce. You can put the oven on low and keep it warmly wrapped in the foil - which is great make-ahead step if you're serving it for a dinner party.
• Use the same skillet (or a new skillet if you've used a griddle) and add the butter directly to it after removing the chicken. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes.
• As soon as the mushroom brown, season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook for another 2-3 minutes as the shallots soften.
• Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes. (You're making a roux. The texture should get pasty.)
• Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat to high and simmer for about 4-5 minutes as the sauce thickens. Be patient. It will thicken. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed.
• When you're ready to serve, slice your chicken on an angle to create strips. Plate the orzo, top with mushroom sauce, add your chicken, more sauce and finally sprinkle with parsley.
• Serve with a simple side salad.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN AND PASTA

Steps:

• Mince garlic cloves in food processor or blender. Add 1/3 of the basil leaves to the processor, and chop until fine. Pour in 1/2 cup of olive oil, and continue to process until mixture turns light yellow with flecks of basil. Add the balsamic vinegar; process just until combined.
• Place the chicken breasts in a large zip-top storage bag along with 1 tablespoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and the contents of the food processor. Squeeze air out of bag and seal. Allow chicken to marinate for 2 hours, or up to overnight, turning occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Brown chicken in a large skillet over large heat, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large baking dish, and place in the oven until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, slice into 1/4 inch strips, and return to baking dish to absorb cooking juices. Keep warm.
• While chicken is baking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Boil the pasta until cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well. Stir the chicken and the juices from the baking dish into the hot pasta.
• Thinly slice the remaining basil leaves, and place in a large serving bowl along with the tomatoes. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Top basil and tomatoes with the hot pasta, sauce, and chicken; toss to combine.

CREAMY ONE-POT PASTA WITH CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Put 2 tablespoons 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, about 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy and coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper, then wine. Stir and let liquid bubble away.
• Ladle stock into skillet 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition and every minute or so. When liquid is just about evaporated, add more. Mixture should be neither soupy nor dry. Keep heat at medium and stir frequently.
• Begin tasting pasta 10 minutes after you add it; you want it to be tender but with a tiny bit of crunch. When pasta is about 3 to 4 minutes away from being done, add chicken and stir to combine. Continue to cook until chicken is done - it will be white on inside when cut - and pasta is how you like it. Taste, adjust seasoning, garnish with parsley and Parmesan if using, and serve.

CREAMY TUSCAN PASTA SAUCE WITH CHICKEN AND BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Set out cream cheese to soften. Then prepare your chicken. Precooked chicken strips are very easy, and this would also be a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken, by dicing into bite-sized pieces. Or you can bake or pan-fry your chicken breasts and then cut into bite sized pieces.
• Prepare the balsamic mushrooms. First, in a small dish, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon water, set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the mushrooms and salt and stir right away with a wooden spoon until the mushrooms have absorbed all the fat.
• Let the mushrooms cook undisturbed for 2 minutes and then stir once. The pan will look dry, but keep the heat at medium-high and continue to cook, stirring infrequently, until the mushrooms are shrunken, glistening, and some sides have developed a deep orange-brown color, 6 to 7 minutes more.
• Turn the heat to low, add the garlic and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Carefully add the balsamic mixture. Cook, stirring, until the liquid reduces to a glazey consistency that coats the mushrooms, 15 to 20 seconds. Season with pepper. Set aside mushrooms.
• Prep remaining ingredients - shred parmesan, mince garlic (or use garlic press), halve cherry tomatoes, julienne-slice basil leaves into thin strips, boil pasta.
• In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Stir in the dried basil. Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy paste. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
• Over medium heat, add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and half of the fresh basil. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency, 5-10 minutes.
• Plate! Layer pasta, then chicken, then mushrooms, then sauce, and top with cherry tomatoes and remaining fresh basil.

CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE FOR PASTA

Steps:

• Place porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak until plumped up, about 30 minutes.
• Pour mushrooms and soaking liquid into a coffee filter or fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Save soaking liquid for sauce. Rinse rehydrated mushrooms well to remove any grit, then coarsely chop.
• Add butter to a large, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When butter has melted, add parsley and garlic; stir to combine. Stir in chopped mushrooms. Moisten the mixture with a few tablespoons reserved soaking water. Cook, stirring a few times, until the moisture has largely evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Add cream and wine and stir to combine. Cook at barely a simmer until liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.