Martha Stewart Chicken And Mushroom Tagliatelle Recipe

This pasta is not pretending to be healthy and I respect it for that. Martha Stewart’s Chicken and Mushroom Tagliatelle is made with boneless chicken thighs, cremini mushrooms, shallots, white wine, heavy cream, and Parmesan, all tossed with tagliatelle and finished with raw celery and parsley for a crunch you do not expect.

I make this chicken mushroom pasta every winter when I want something rich and warm that feels like a reward. The whole thing takes 35 minutes and uses one skillet plus a pot for the pasta. Martha calls it a cheat day meal and she is right.

Try More Dinner Recipes:

• Bolognese Sauce
• Alfredo Sauce
• One Pan Pasta

Why You Will Love This Chicken Mushroom Tagliatelle:

• The sauce builds in layers: You brown the chicken first, then cook the mushrooms in the same butter and drippings, then deglaze with wine. Every step adds flavour to the pan and by the time the cream goes in, the sauce already has depth. I was surprised how much flavour you get from just butter and one skillet.
• Chicken thighs stay juicy: Martha uses boneless, skinless thighs and they brown in about 7 minutes without drying out. You slice them after cooking and toss them back into the sauce so every piece is coated. Breast meat would not hold up the same way here.
• The raw celery at the end is the surprise: I know it sounds strange to throw raw celery into a cream pasta but it adds a cold, crunchy bite that cuts through all that richness. Martha includes the celery leaves too. Once I tried it I understood why it is there.

Chicken And Mushroom Tagliatelle Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh or dried tagliatelle
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, halved, peeled, and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved (or quartered if large)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 ounce Parmesan, grated (about 1/3 cup), plus more for serving
• 1 stalk celery with leaves, cut into very thin slices (about 2/3 cup)
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken And Mushroom Tagliatelle

1. Cook the pasta: Boil the tagliatelle in a large pot of generously salted water until al dente. Before draining, save 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water. Drain and set aside.
2. Brown the chicken: Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, flipping once, until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Move to a plate.
3. Cook the mushrooms and shallots: Turn the heat down to medium and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. If the skillet gets too dark too fast, add a splash of pasta water.
4. Deglaze with wine: Pour in the white wine, bring it to a boil, and let it reduce by half.
5. Toss everything together: Slice the chicken and add it back to the skillet along with the cream, Parmesan, 1 cup of the pasta water, and the pasta. Toss until the sauce coats every strand, adding more pasta water if it needs loosening.
6. Finish and serve: Add the celery slices, celery leaves, and parsley. Toss to combine. Serve with extra Parmesan on top.

Recipe Tips

• Save more pasta water than you think: Martha says 1 1/2 cups and you might not use all of it, but the starchy water is what turns cream and Parmesan into an actual sauce that clings. I ran out once and had to use plain water and it was not the same.
• Let the mushrooms brown properly: Do not stir them too much. Let them sit in the butter and get golden on one side before moving them. If you stir constantly they steam instead of brown and you lose that nutty, caramelized flavour.
• Slice the celery paper thin: Martha says very thin slices and she means it. Thick celery chunks in a cream pasta feel wrong. Thin slices disappear into the dish and give you crunch without taking over.

The Celery Is Not A Mistake

I almost left it out the first time because raw celery in a cream pasta sounded wrong. It is not. The cold crunch against the warm, silky sauce is what makes this pasta interesting instead of just heavy.

The leaves are the best part. They taste almost like parsley but with a pepperiness that wakes up the whole bowl. Do not throw them away.

What Goes Well With This Mushroom Tagliatelle

This is already rich so I keep the side simple. A torn piece of sourdough bread for wiping the plate clean. Maybe stuffed mushrooms if I am leaning into the mushroom theme for the night.

A quick salad with one of Martha’s salad dressings on the side balances the cream. Nothing complicated.

How To Store Leftovers

The pasta absorbs the cream sauce overnight so it will be thicker and stickier the next day. Stir in a splash of cream or pasta water when you reheat on the stove. Fridge for 2 days.

I would not freeze this because cream sauces separate when thawed. Leftover portions reheat best in a skillet over low heat with a lid on so the steam loosens everything back up.

FAQs

• Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? You can but breast dries out faster and will not be as tender in the cream sauce. Martha uses thighs for a reason. If you go with breast, watch the cook time carefully and pull them at 6 minutes.
• Can I use a different pasta? Fettuccine or pappardelle work great because they are flat and wide like tagliatelle. Spaghetti will work but the sauce does not cling to it the same way. I stick with something flat.
• Can I use dried mushrooms instead of cremini? You could rehydrate dried porcini and use those for a deeper, earthier flavour. Save the soaking liquid and use it in place of some of the pasta water. I have done this and it tastes incredible but it is a different dish.
• Can I leave out the celery? You can but I would not. Martha adds it for a reason. That raw crunch is what keeps this from being just another creamy pasta. Try it once with the celery and you will understand.

More Dinner Recipes:

• Mushroom Risotto
• Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• Pasta Carbonara

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 620
• Total Fat: 28g
• Saturated Fat: 15g
• Cholesterol: 130mg
• Sodium: 520mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 55g
• Protein: 32g