Bright and creamy trofie pesto pasta with chicken and mushrooms. It’s made with a simple walnut parsley pesto and is great for serving on pasta night!
This chicken and mushroom trofie with pesto was inspired by a dish we had at an Italian restaurant in London. While trofie is typically made with basil pesto, we opted for a walnut parsley pesto, which has an intense bright flavor.
The cream helps to balance everything out and adds a silky texture to the sauce. We like serving ours with a bit of freshly grated parmesan on top, and of course, a side of good bread. For more pesto recipes, try our Homemade Pesto and Creamy Pesto Gnocchi.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy dinner: Everything gets tossed back into one pan and it only takes about 45 minutes to make!
- Balanced flavors: We tested this recipe several times to make sure all the flavors came together perfectly.
- Comforting: This dish is great any time of the year, but especially during the colder months when you want something rich and cozy.
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Trofie Pasta: This is a Ligurian pasta with an elongated twist shape. It’s often served with pesto and can be substituted with strozzapreti, gemelli, or penne.
- Italian Parsley: Don’t use curly parsley as it has a less robust flavor than Italian.
- Walnuts: We don’t recommend changing the nuts as this could alter the flavor.
- Garlic: You’ll need 4 cloves.
- Shallots: You’ll need 1-2 shallots to get 80 g or roughly ¾ cup (cut into chunks).
- Parmesan: Use a high-quality grated parmesan cheese.
- Kosher Salt: The course granules help to break up the parsley in the pesto.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: This is for the pesto and for cooking the chicken and mushrooms.
- Salted Butter: You’ll need 2 tbsp (28 g).
- Baby Bella Mushrooms: These are the same thing as cremini mushrooms.
- Chicken: We use boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- White Cooking Wine: A dry white wine is best.
- Heavy Cream: 1 cup or 250 ml.
Kitchen Equipment
- Food Processor
- Large Saute Pan or Deep Skillet
- Large Pot and Strainer
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 1: Place all the pesto ingredients – except the olive oil – in a food processor. Blitz until everything is chopped into small pieces.
STEP 2: With the processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the processor and turn on once more to combine. Then set aside.
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 3: Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of butter in a pan on medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes then set aside in a bowl.
They shouldn’t be too soft at this stage since you’ll be adding them back later.
STEP 4: Add the remaining olive oil to the pan then cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes.
STEP 5
STEP 6
STEP 5: Add the white wine to help scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Then add back the mushrooms and reduce the heat to low.
STEP 6: Add the pesto and stir to coat the chicken and mushrooms.
STEP 7
STEP 8
STEP 7: Add the trofie pasta to the pan and toss to combine.
STEP 8: Lastly, stir in the cream and cook on low for 1-2 more minutes.
Serve warm with a side of crusty bread. You can also add a bit of freshly grated parmesan on top.
Expert Tips
- Go for a bronze-cut pasta if you can. The rough, porous texture helps to absorb the pasta sauce better.
- Boil the pasta water as you prep the other ingredients. This will help save time and ensure your pasta is done when you’re ready to add it to the pan.
- Don’t overcook the mushrooms. They’ll cook down a little more when you stir them with the sauce. Go for meaty and plump, and don’t salt them as this will draw out the water and make them rubbery or chewy.
FAQ
Yes. It’s best fresh, but you can store it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Flat leaf (aka Italian) parsley has a stronger and more aromatic flavor than curly parsley. The latter also has rougher leaves which could alter the texture of your pesto. We prefer the flavor of the flat leaf variety which is why we recommend using it for this dish.
Storing
Store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months, preferably without the cream. When you’re ready to serve it, thaw it completely before reheating it and adding the cream.
If you tried this recipe, we’d love to hear from you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!
📖 Recipe
Trofie with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Parsley Pesto
Ingredients
- 10 oz (282 g) trofie pasta*
Walnut Parsley Pesto:
- 1 bunch Italian parsley
- 4 cloves garlic
- Scant ¾ cup (80 g) shallots cut into large chunks
- ½ cup (52 g) grated parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup (60 g) walnuts
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Chicken and Mushrooms:
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 2 tbsp (28 g) salted butter
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
- 16 oz (454 g) baby bella mushrooms cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
- 2 tbsp white cooking wine/dry white wine
- 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil then add the pasta.
- Cook al dente according to package instructions then drain the pasta.
Walnut Parsley Pesto:
- Cut and discard the stems of the parsley. Add the leaves to a food processor along with the garlic, shallots, parmesan, kosher salt, and walnuts. Blitz until cut into small pieces.
- With the food processor still on, slowly add in the olive oil.
- Scrape down the sides of the processor then turn on once more until everything is well combined. Set aside.
Chicken and Mushrooms:
- In a large sauté pan or deep skillet on medium-high, add 1 tbsp of olive oil plus 2 tbsp of butter.
- Once the butter has melted, add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes then remove them from the pan and set aside in a bowl (don't overcook, you don't want them to be too soft at this stage).
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan then add the chicken chunks.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes then add the cooking wine and scrape up any brown bits in the pan.
- Return the mushrooms to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Add the pesto and stir to coat the chicken and mushrooms.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss to combine. Then mix in the cream until everything is well incorporated.
- Cook for 1-2 more minutes and serve warm.
Notes
- Pasta: The best substitute for trofie is strozzapreti, but you can use other short-cut pastas like gemelli or penne.
- Best served with a side of crusty bread.
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