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If you’re looking for a dish bursting with flavor and texture, then this simple yet sophisticated recipe of Black Garlic Mushroom Pasta with Chicken will satisfy your cravings! This hearty pasta dish is packed with umami flavor thanks to black garlic and lots of mushrooms. Skip the chicken and it’s vegetarian friendly!
This dish is ready in under 25 minutes! Try these other quick dishes as well for Quick + Easy weeknight meals like this Lemon Chicken Piccata dish.
Grab your ingredients. Let’s get started!
Chicken Thighs (optional)
Baby Bella Mushrooms
Chicken (or Veggie) Stock
Heavy Cream
Pecorino Romano Cheese
Small Shell Pasta
Dried Oregano
Dried Thyme
Garlic Powder (for the chicken)
Fresh Parsley
Salt + Pepper
Black Garlic – The star in this recipe. It’s got that sweet yet tangy flavor with just a subtle hint of balsamic vinegar and almost tastes like soy sauce. I know it sounds a little weird, but trust me you will love it.
BONUS: These little sweet things are packed full of more antioxidants than regular garlic and contain much more amazing health benefits which make it all the better.
Chicken Thighs – Chicken thighs are my go-to as they are much more flavorful than chicken breast. If you want to use chicken breast, just make sure to adjust the cooking times to ensure they are fully cooked.
Roasted Garlic Bouillon Base – This brings that umami flavor of roasted garlic to bring this dish to the next level. This should definitely become a staple in your kitchen. It’s so versatile and can be used in any pasta dish, on garlic bread, and more.
Small Shell Pasta – This is my favorite pasta to use in one-pot dishes. Who needs to do more dishes if they don’t need to, right? Just add your base stock and throw these cute little sea shell noodles in and let them soak up all that excess liquid making it that much more flavorful.
Pecorino Romano – It has a very similar taste profile to Parmesan, but the main difference is where it’s sourced from. Sheep’s Milk! It does have a more robust flavor compared to Parmesan and I love using it in all my dishes. If you prefer Parmesan you can substitute it and it will taste just as good!
Baby Bella Mushrooms – You can slice them or do a simple rustic cut (my Fav). I use a butter knife against my thumb to just cut them into little chunks as I toss them in the pan.
WANT IT VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY? Skip the chicken step and swap the chicken stock for some veggie stock.
I like to cut the chicken thighs in half to get more out of them. However, you don’t have to cut them if you want to leave them as a whole piece. Season them on both sides with 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp Salt + Pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes and then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Set aside and keep warm while you cook the rest of the dish.
Turn the heat down to Medium and add 1 tbsp olive oil then toss in the mushrooms. Add 1 tsp of the roasted garlic base and 1 grated clove of black garlic then saute for about 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned.
Add in your chicken stock and scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. This adds that extra level of flavor to the dish. Toss in 1 tsp thyme and 1 tsp oregano and season with Salt + Pepper to taste.
Add 1 cup of heavy cream and 2 cups of the small shell pasta. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes over low heat.
Once done add in the Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan if preferred) and mix it up. Add back in the chicken and top with chopped fresh parsley and more romano cheese. Serve warm and enjoy!
Storage: This Black Garlic Mushroom Pasta with Chicken stores perfectly if you have leftovers or you want to use it as a make-ahead meal prep for lunches. Just cook as instructed and store in air-tight food-safe containers for 3-4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave until warm throughout.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- ½ tsp Salt + Pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms rustic cut
- 1 tsp Roasted Garlic Base
- 1 whole Black Garlic finely grated
- 1 cup Chicken Stock Swap with Vegetable Stock to make it vegetarian friendly
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Small Shell Pasta Noodles
- 1/4 tsp salt + pepper or more to taste
- 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano Cheese grated, plus more to garnish
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley plus more to garnish
Instructions
- Season them on both sides of the chicken thighs with 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp Salt + Pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes and them flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
- Turn the heat down to Medium and add 1 tbsp olive oil then toss in the mushrooms. Add in 1 tsp of the roasted garlic base and 1 grated clove of black garlic then saute for about 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned.
- Add in your chicken stock and scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. This adds that extra level of flavor to the dish. Toss in 1 tsp thyme and 1 tsp oregano and season with Salt + Pepper to taste.
- Add 1 cup of heavy cream and 2 cups of the small shell pasta. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes over low heat.
- Once done add in the Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan if preferred) and mix it up. Add back in the chicken and top with chopped fresh parsley and more romano cheese. Serve warm and enjoy!
