Chicken and Mushroom Pasta  | Daily Mail Online

Great as a weekday meal as you can make the sauce in advance and a good way to use up any chicken after your weekend roast. 

Serves 2 

150g spelt penne

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

400g chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

100ml white wine

30g finely grated parmesan

sea salt, black pepper

150g cooked chicken, thinly sliced

•  If you are making the sauce and pasta at the same time, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions or until just tender.

•  Heat a large nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, then half the shallots and cook until translucent. Throw in half the mushrooms and fry for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden. Don’t worry about any liquid given out – this will add to the sauce. Remove and repeat with the remaining oil, shallots and mushrooms.

•  Return all the mushrooms and shallots to the pan, add the wine and simmer to reduce by about half. Transfer half the mushrooms and shallots and any liquid to a blender, add 100ml water, two thirds of the parmesan and some seasoning and whiz until smooth, adding a little more water if necessary. Stir this in with the rest of the mushrooms then add the chicken and heat through.

•  Drain the pasta using a colander and stir into the sauce. Serve scattered with the rest of the parmesan and an extra drizzle of oil.

TIP For a creamier mushroom sauce, add a little crème fraîche or soured cream to the finished sauce.