Engagement chicken pasta is a creamy mushroom chicken pasta for two. This creamy pasta dish with seared mushrooms and sliced chicken will impress anyone!
The other day, I started thinking about Engagement Chicken. Not only how silly it is, but also how important food is if it can garner such a response.
Truthfully, I never made engagement chicken until I was married, but I have made it, and yes, it's freaking fantastic. But it's not just that--it's a life skill learned in trussing and roasting a chicken..which is probably why they say if you can roast a chicken, you have marriage skills? I do not know.
Let's not assign good meals to married people only, ok? This pasta is one of those impressive dishes that you should master and keep in your back pocket for a special occasion. (By the way, a special occasion is mopping and vacuuming your whole house, instead of doing one or the other. Or, Tuesday. Tuesday works, too).
If you like easy chicken and pasta dishes, you'll love my Creamy Chicken Bacon Pasta, too!
Engagement Chicken Pasta for Two
I'm a huge fan of pasta with cream sauce. (who isn't?) But, I discovered a quick way to make a cream sauce that doesn't require an extra skillet:
- After I deglaze the mushroom pan with a hefty dose of wine, I pour the hot wine into a big bowl for tossing the pasta.
- Then, I add the cream cheese, cut into cubes. Top with the hot pasta, right out of the boiling water, and toss, toss, toss.
- The cream cheese will melt and coat the noodles so lovingly. It's the best. It's worthy of diamonds. Or an entire bottle of wine to yourself. Whatevs.
The first time you make this dish, it will be a bit of a blur. It has a handful of steps, but you'll find your rhythm get better each time you make it. And you will be making this over and over, trust me. And you won't be single for long, trust me. Or maybe you will. Maybe it's not your cooking skills; maybe it's your breath. Just sayin'.
Oh, and if you're not a mushroom fan, it's okay; you can leave them out. I really think they create an amazing pan sauce here, but you can do whatever you like. Just make the creamy pasta portion and the chicken, ok?
Dinner for Two: Engagement Pasta
A delicious chicken pasta dish with mushrooms and cream cheese.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces dried spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 10 ounces sliced mushrooms
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
- 2 small chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the spaghetti noodles.
- Meanwhile, in a large not non-stick skillet, melt the butter and thyme over medium heat.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet, and stir to coat in butter. Leave them to cook for a few minutes undisturbed so that a nice crust forms. Stir, and repeat until the mushrooms are golden brown. It will take about 15 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms from the pan, leaving the butter and thyme in the pan. Add the oil to the pan.
- Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high, and sear the chicken breasts on both sides in the same pan that the mushrooms were in. Again, let cook undisturbed so that a nice crust forms. If the chicken is sticking to the pan, it's because the first side isn't done searing. It will release when it's golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the pan, and cover to keep warm.
- Turn the heat down to low and add all of the wine
- Allow the wine to cook down slightly while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get all of the brown bits into the wine.
- Dice the cream cheese and place in a large bowl.
- Discard the thyme sprigs from the pan, and then pour the hot wine over the cream cheese, and stir until it melts. There might be a few small pieces, but the hot pasta will dissolve them.
- When the pasta is done, drain it, and immediately pour it over the wine-cream cheese mixture. Toss the noodles to melt and evenly distribute the cream cheese sauce.
- Stir the mushrooms into the pasta bowl.
- Slice the chicken, and serve on top.
- *This pasta is best served immediately after making it. The cream cheese will set up if allowed to set. Not that you can't re-heat it, but it will be t-h-i-c-k. Plan accordingly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 862Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 220mgSodium: 571mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 49g
Kayla says
I am planning to make this tonight. What side dishes would you recommend with this meal? regular garden salad perhaps? or roasted asparagus?
thank you!
Christina Lane says
Salad would be lovely!
quashonna johnson says
Instead of mushrooms is there an alternative? I honestly don't like vegetsbles but broccoli lol.
Christina Lane says
I feel ya, Quashonna! I love broccoli, too! What if you used potatoes? Broccoli would be good, too!
Gale A Christensen says
If you are leery of mushrooms, try the baby bellas or Crimini mushrooms instead of the standard white button variety. Baby bellas are creamy tan, not white, and they have a rich, almost meaty flavor. That is why the big ones, Portobellos, are often used as a meat substitute. You can also quarter them, or even roughly chop them into smaller pieces than slices. They tend to meld more with other flavors in the dish then. As opposed to taking a bite and thinking, "Wow, that was a mushroom, whew!" It becomes more of a "This has an interesting layer to it, I'm not quite sure what it is, but it really enhances the dish!
Jessica says
I don’t have white wine will marsala wine work or would chicken broth be better?
Christina Lane says
Yes, Marsala will be fine. Chicken broth, too!
Sue says
Hey Christina! I tried this today and it turned out so great! Although I did add a bit more cream cheese haha. Looking forward to more posts here!
Julio says
Thinking of making this dish for a first date, what would be a good wine pairing?
Christina Lane says
You should, Julio! I like Sauv Blanc from Napa :)
Augustina says
Hey
Very excited to make this tonight!
Any specific cream cheese flavour I should look for or can it just be a plane one?
Thanks!
Christina Lane says
Just plain :)
Jim & Joann Topp says
Can you use dry red wine?
Shanna says
I made this tonight and it was so delicious! Great recipe.
Ericka says
I don't understand how everyone who's tried this recipe isn't proposing to you! I just had my last bite, and yes, I licked the bowl. I have no shame. This was INSANELY good. I would even call it Last Meal Chicken Pasta because I would die happy if this were my last meal. I listened to your advise about this being best right off the stove and I planned accordingly by cutting this recipe in half and making myself one bowl. THANK YOU CHRISTINA!
Phil says
This looks amazing! I have been talking about learning to cook for years and decided to take the plunge finally. I think I'm going to make this for my wife this weekend! it looks easy yet delicious. Any recommendations for a good salad or side dish to pair with this?
Christina Lane says
Hi Phil! Good luck; you can do it! Take your time, go slow and read the entire recipe from start-to-finish before attempting :)
I would serve it with my Fall salad and a California Sauvignon Blanc.
Phil says
This was SOOOOO good and Soo easy!! I pounded the chicken a little and brined it for an hour and a half before searing and it was so tender and juicy. And the flavors were amazing!!
She didn't care for the salad but I thought it was amazing.
I love your website! It is perfect for what I wanted. A weekly date night for my wife And me, and me learning to cook. I'll be finding more recipes here for sure!!
morten bråthen øyen says
I made this for me and my beloved today at valentines. And i must say it was a delightfull meal. Good recipie and tasted wonderful!
10/10
Morten