Light Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine

Tender fettuccine noodles, sauteed mushroom and chicken in a light and creamy Parmesan Sauce.

The base of this hearty recipe is created with a light and Creamy Parmesan Sauce. While the addition of sauteed mushrooms and flavorful bites of chicken bring rounded flavor. For a bold savory finish, the dish is given a dusting of nutmeg and fresh sage. For those of you who love Fettuccine Alfredo but dread the calories, this recipe is a delicious alternative.

This recipe maximizes flavor with a small amount of butter and milk allowing a diner to enjoy these wonderful flavors without a lot of calories. And while this tasty dish is a hearty and comforting Fall and Winter meal. It is equally enjoyable in the late months of summer.

This recipe for Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine may sound complicated, however, it is simple to prepare with these easy to follow steps. Furthermore if you meal prep, the three major components of this dish can be made ahead.

Meal Prepping for……

Light Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine

The three major components in this dish can be prepped in advance to make this dish come together in a snap.

1. Tender chicken breasts or cutlets are baked with ease. With this easy to follow recipe for Baked Chicken, you may choose the seasoning of your choice to bring added flavor to this recipe. Generally, I will use any flavor chicken I have on hand. However if preparing specifically for this dish, I would choose plain salt and pepper or an Italian seasoning. Also, for a quick fix, bulk purchased turkey or chicken breast strips may also be used.
2. While the Light Parmesan Sauce only takes a few minutes to cook, having it on hand makes for a fast finish. My recipe for Light Creamy Parmesan Sauce can easily be refrigerated for up to a week.
3. Finally, the sauteed mushrooms can be made in advance and refrigerated. Often times, I will purchase several pounds of mushrooms to cook and keep on hand. I think of mushrooms as Mother Nature’s caviar as they can easily be added to many dishes. For instance, toss them into Pasta Salad, Turkey Tetrazzini Soup, or Hearty Turkey Chowder. Not to mention, they make killer omelettes both for breakfast and dinner.

Cooking the Mushrooms

Here are a few simple tips and steps for cooking delicious mushrooms:

1. First of all, don’t try to cook a whole pound of mushrooms at once. Overcrowding in the pan will keep them from browning nicely. Additionally, overcrowding tends to steam the mushrooms. (See above picture.)
2. To clean the mushrooms, gently dust off any dirt residue. If necessary, run under a little water to remove any dirt that is stuck to the mushroom.
3. Cut the mushroom stem even with the cap. This will allow the mushroom to sit flat. Doing so will make cutting your mushrooms effortless.
4. Preheat stainless or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Once the pan is hot remove from heat source or turn the burner off. Spray the skillet with Bak-Klene. This will aid in keeping the mushrooms from sticking and allow cooking with a minimal amount of oil.
6. Add the mushrooms to the hot pan and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and about an 1/8th teaspoon of minced garlic. Using fresh garlic is great. But honestly, I often use dehydrated garlic in my mushrooms. The water in the mushrooms helps to rehydrate the garlic. If you don’t have minced dehydrated garlic, garlic powder works nicely too.
7. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and cover. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
8. Remove cover, stir trying to flip most of the mushroom pieces onto the uncooked side. Continue to cook until just golden and cooked through.
9. Transfer cooked mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
10. Repeat as many times as necessary to cook all the mushrooms.
11. Cooked mushrooms maybe stored for a week in the refrigerator, in an airtight container such as Ziploc or Tupperware.

Preparing the Parmesan Sauce

Once the mushrooms have been cooked and removed, the sauce can be made in the same pan. This simple step helps to eliminate extra pan clean-up. Proceed with the instructions for the Light Creamy Parmesan Sauce.

Meal Prepping the Sauce

If you plan on preparing this sauce in advance, proceed with the instructions for Light Creamy Parmesan Sauce. The finished sauce should be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. Once you are ready to use, add the sauce to a skillet large enough for the sauce, mushrooms and cooked pasta.

As the sauce will have thickened, it may be necessary to add a little broth or water to thin it down. The amount is up to you depending on how thick you prefer your sauce. I usually add up to a 1/2 cup of broth, while heating over low-heat. At this point, you should add the mushrooms as well. Turn off heat source, until ready to add the pasta and chicken.

For Freshly Made Sauce:

If making the sauce to serve the same day, follow the instructions as outlined in my recipe for Light Creamy Parmesan Sauce. Once the sauce is completed, add the mushrooms allowing to heat through. Turn the sauce off until ready to add the pasta and chicken.

The Grand Finale

To finish the Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine

Meanwhile, heat a pot of boiling water and cook the pasta to al dente. Remove cooked pasta from water reserving one cup of pasta water. Add the cooked pasta and the chicken to the sauce in the pan set over medium-low heat. Toss to coat and allow the chicken to heat through. Here is where the pasta water comes in handy. The sauce will tighten up and become thick, possibly too thick. Add a 1/4 cup of pasta water at a time, to help loosen up the sauce. Add just enough water to reach a desired consistency. If you have thrown out the water, don’t panic. Chicken broth or Vegetable broth can be substituted.

Weight Watchers and Waist Watchers

A 1 1/2 cup Serving of Light Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine is 10 WW Smart Points or 365 calories.

Print