Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally to make 4 thinner steaks
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g (7 oz) streaky bacon, cut into wide strips
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 400 g (14 oz) fettuccine (or pasta of your choice)
- 200 g (7 oz) Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced (or white or button mushrooms)
- 300 ml (10½ fl oz) thickened (heavy) cream
- ½ tsp chicken stock powder (bouillon)
- 1 cup (100 g) freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Prep the chicken – Sprinkle the chicken with the paprika, salt and half the pepper.
- Cook the chicken – Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat and cook the chicken for 6–8 minutes until golden and just cooked, turning once halfway through cooking.
- Slice the chicken into thin strips and set aside.
- Cook the bacon, onion and garlic – Add the bacon to the same pan and cook for 2 minutes or until crisp. Use a spoon to scoop out any excess bacon fat, if required.
- Add the butter and, once melted, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until softened.
- Boil the pasta – Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine as per the packet instructions minus 1 minute – it will finish cooking when combined with the sauce.
- Reserve ½ cup (125 ml) of the pasta cooking water (take it out of the pot using a ladle or mug while the pasta is cooking). Drain the pasta.
- Add the remaining ingredients – Add the mushrooms to the bacon mixture and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Add the thickened cream, reserved pasta cooking water, chicken stock powder and remaining pepper and simmer for 2 minutes until thickened.
- Combine the pasta and chicken – Remove the pan from the heat, add the parmesan, pasta and chicken and stir them through.
- Serve – Serve with the extra parmesan and sprinkled with parsley.
Notes
Make Ahead
Prepare the mushrooms ahead of time, by cleaning them first to remove any debris (use a damp paper towel to wipe the mushrooms clean), then slice the mushrooms (unless using small whole mushrooms). Refrigerate in an airtight container or reusable sandwich bag for up to 3 days.
Leftovers
Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Not suitable to freeze.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Quick and Easy, Chicken
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired