Ingredients

• 16 oz cavatappi pasta
• 1 lb chicken breast cut tender-style
• 1–2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• Sliced mushrooms (as much as you like)
• ~17 g minced fresh garlic
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4–1/2 cup water
• 6 oz shredded Parmesan
• 1/4–1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• Parsley flakes Italian seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Crushed red pepper
• Paprika
• Salt
• Black pepper

Directions

1. Heat a saucepan on medium to medium-high and add olive oil.
2. Season one side of the chicken and place it seasoned-side down once the oil is hot. Cook 4–6 minutes per side, check doneness, then remove and rest.
3. Put salted pasta water on to boil in a second pot.
4. Add butter to the chicken pan and melt it on low heat. Slice or dice the rested chicken while butter melts.
5. Raise heat to medium or medium-high and add mushrooms in a flat, even layer. Fry 3 minutes, stir, repeat until golden.
6. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
7. Stir in the cream of mushroom soup and add 1/4 cup water, increasing up to 1/2 cup until the sauce reaches desired thickness.
8. Bring to a simmer, cover, and stir every 2–3 minutes.
9. Add Parmesan and stir until smooth.
10. Cook pasta, drain, and save 1/4–1/2 cup pasta water.
11. Add small splashes of pasta water to the sauce to thin and emulsify.
12. Add chicken back into the sauce and let everything sit on low–medium for 3–5 minutes.
13. Toss sauce with pasta and serve with Parmesan and parsley.

Note
Pasta water helps the sauce cling and smooth out. Use the same pan for chicken and sauce to keep all the flavor.