Chicken, Mushroom & Brown Butter Pasta Recipe
Rigatoni Pasta, Chicken, Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Red Onion, Fresh Herbs and Brown Butter
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Ingredients
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Pasta & starch
Proteins
Vegetables & aromatics
Brown butter & finishing
Method
Pasta & starch
- 1
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the rigatoni. Cook according to package instructions until al dente (usually 10–12 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
Proteins
- 2
Prepare chicken
While the pasta cooks, pat the chicken dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- 3
Cook sausage
Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage (no additional fat). Break it up with a spatula and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. Transfer the browned sausage to a plate and leave rendered fat in the pan.
- 4
Cook chicken
Lower heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet with the sausage fat. Add the seasoned chicken in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Remove chicken to the plate with the sausage and set aside.
Vegetables & aromatics
- 5
Sauté mushrooms & onion
If the skillet is dry, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add sliced mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes to encourage browning, then stir and add the sliced red onion. Sauté together over medium-high heat until mushrooms are deeply browned and onions are softened, about 6–8 minutes.
- 6
Brown butter & finishing
- 7
Brown the butter
In a separate small saucepan or small skillet, melt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat. Swirl occasionally; once the foaming subsides and milk solids turn golden-brown and smell nutty (2–4 minutes), remove from heat to prevent burning. Carefully pour browned butter into the skillet with the mushrooms and onions, reserving any browned bits in the pan. Stir to combine.
- 8
Combine proteins and pasta
Return the cooked sausage and chicken to the skillet with the mushrooms and browned butter. Add the drained rigatoni and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss over medium heat to combine. If the sauce seems dry, add up to the remaining reserved pasta water, 1–2 tablespoons at a time, until you reach a silky coating.
- 9
Finish sauce
Stir in grated Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped parsley and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Heat just until the cheese melts and sauce coats the pasta, 1–2 minutes.
- 10
Serve
Divide the pasta among plates or a large serving bowl. Spoon any remaining browned butter and juices from the pan over the top. Garnish with extra grated Parmesan and a few more chopped parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
