This great chicken dish is easy to make but a little time consuming. It's worth the wait though for a great, delicious meal. Serve with a salad and a crusty bread.
9 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. white mushrooms, wiped off and sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/3 c. all-purpose flour or more as needed
4 c. whole milk, room temperature
1 c. heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 c. chicken stock
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
12 oz. linguine or fettucine
3/4 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. dried Italian-style breadcrumbs or panko
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Spread 1 T. butter over a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.
Melt 1 T. each of butter and oil in a deep large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 t. each of salt and pepper; add chicken to the hot skillet; cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a platter to cool slightly; coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces; place into a large bowl.
Meanwhile, add 1 T. each of butter and oil to the same pan; add mushrooms; saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and thyme; saute until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add wine; simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.
Melt 3 T. butter in the same pan over medium-low heat; add flour; whisk 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, cream, stock, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 t. salt, and remaining 3/4 t. pepper. Increase heat to high. Cover; bring to a boil; simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil; add linguine; cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes; drain.
Add linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture; toss until sauce coats the pasta and mixture is well blended.
Transfer pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Stir cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend; sprinkle cheese mixture over pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 T. butter.
Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.
6-8 servings.