Lemon Pappardelle w/ Mushrooms + Chicken

 

Ingredients: Lemon Pappardelle pasta, Crimini, Portobello, and Shiitake mushrooms, organic chicken breast, heavy cream, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, Meyer lemon zest, Italian parsley

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I love the Lemon Pappardelle pasta at Trader Joe's - you can spruce up any old pasta dish using this. I used a variety of mushrooms here, wishing I had more time to stop by the mushroom stand over the weekend; otherwise, these three kinds (crimini, portobello, and shiitake) can be easily found in any supermarket. 

I thought I'd experiment more with cream sauces, as I've usually avoided them like the plague. I always had the impression that anything with cream in it (especially a pasta) would leave me feeling heavy and gross afterward, but used correctly, cream can add so much body and flavor to a boring pasta! I added about 1/2 cup to the pan after I sauteed the mushrooms, garlic, and chicken and let it simmer down for about 5-8 minutes. At this point you can also add some freshly grated Parmesan or even a dollop of ricotta (although I left this out on mine).

I topped with some freshly grated Meyer lemon zest and chopped Italian parsley.