Creamy Mushroom & Asparagus Chicken Penne

🧾 Ingredients

For pasta:

• 250g penne pasta
• Water + salt (for boiling)

For chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
• 1 tbsp oil

For sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter (or oil for cheaper option)
• 3–4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 bunch asparagus (cut into 1–2 inch pieces)
• 1 cup cream (fresh cream or cooking cream)
• ½ cup milk (optional, for lighter sauce)
• ½ cup grated cheese (cheddar or parmesan)
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
• Salt to taste

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1: Cook pasta

• Boil water with salt
• Cook penne until al dente (slightly firm)
• Drain and set aside (save ½ cup pasta water)

Step 2: Cook chicken

• Heat oil in a pan
• Add chicken + salt + pepper + garlic
• Cook 5–7 minutes until golden and fully cooked
• Remove and set aside

Step 3: Sauté vegetables

• In the same pan, add butter
• Add garlic and onion → sauté until soft
• Add mushrooms → cook until browned
• Add asparagus → cook 3–4 minutes (keep slightly crisp)

Step 4: Make creamy sauce

• Add cream + milk
• Stir and bring to gentle simmer
• Add cheese → mix until melted
• Add salt, pepper, chili flakes

👉 If too thick: add a little pasta water

Step 5: Combine everything

• Add cooked chicken back
• Add pasta
• Toss everything well to coat

Step 6: Finish

• Cook 1–2 minutes more
• Taste and adjust seasoning

🍽️ Optional Add-ons

• Sprinkle extra cheese on top
• Add fresh herbs (parsley or coriander)
• Squeeze a little lemon for freshness

🔥 Pro Tips

• Don’t overcook asparagus → keeps crunch
• Brown mushrooms well → more flavor
• Use pasta water for silky sauce.