This tarragon chicken and asparagus mafalde recipe is one of my own! I've only used mafalde pasta once before, in the 'nduja pasta mafalde recipe, so thought it was time to try another dish.
Tarragon and chicken are a perfect combination, and along with asparagus, pasta and a creamy sauce, it's delicious!!
Tips
- Chicken breasts will also work if you don't have skinless boneless chicken thighs. I'd suggest you butterfly them before seasoning and searing them at step 1.
- Mafalde is a flat and wide, ribbon-shaped pasta that I buy from Amazon. Tagliatelle can be used as an alternative.
- This tarragon chicken and asparagus mafalde recipe is easily adapted if you're cooking for less people.
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"This was really easy to prepare and went down very well with everyone. Definitely another one for my recipe book."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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How to make this Tarragon Chicken and Asparagus Mafalde
Ingredients
- 4 (approx. 400g) skinless boneless chicken thighs (see Tips)
- 1.25 tsp dried tarragon, or 1.25 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 to 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 200g asparagus tips, trimmed (if required)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 80ml white wine
- 900ml chicken stock (made using 2 stock cubes or pots)
- 80ml double cream (I use Elmlea to reduce the calories!)
- 300g mafalde pasta (see Tips)
- 30g parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra to garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with 1 tsp of dried tarragon, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the chicken thighs and sear on both sides for 4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Add a bit more oil to the pan, if needed. Place the asparagus tips into the pan, season, and fry for 3 minutes, moving them around frequently so that they're seared all around. Remove and set aside with the chicken.
- Heat another tsp of olive oil over a medium and fry the onion and garlic for 2 minutes, until the onion becomes transparent, stirring occasionally. Pour in the white wine and reduce the heat to allow the wine to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Then, add the stock, cream and 0.25 tsp tarragon, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the mafalde pasta and simmer until it's al dente, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the pasta is cooking and the chicken and asparagus have cooled down, slice the chicken into strips, and cut the asparagus into roughly 2.5cm lengths. Add the chicken and asparagus to the pasta for the last 5 minutes of cooking to heat it through and also to get more tarragon flavour through the sauce.
- Stir in the parmesan until it melts through the sauce. Remove from the heat and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Garnish with extra parmesan and freshly ground black pepper and maybe some homemade bread on the side!
Serving suggestions
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Tarragon Chicken and Asparagus Mafalde
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 (approx. 400g) skinless boneless chicken thighs (see Notes)
- 1.25 tsp dried tarragon or 1.25 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 to 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g (7.1 oz) asparagus tips trimmed (if required)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) white wine
- 900 ml (3 ⅞ cups) chicken stock (made using 2 stock cubes or pots)
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) double cream (I use Elmlea to reduce the calories!)
- 300 g (10.6 oz) mafalde pasta (see Notes)
- 30 g (1.1 oz) parmesan cheese grated, plus extra to garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with 1 tsp of dried tarragon, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the chicken thighs and sear on both sides for 4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Add a bit more oil to the pan, if needed. Place the asparagus tips into the pan, season, and fry for 3 minutes, moving them around frequently so that they're seared all around. Remove and set aside with the chicken.
- Heat another tsp of olive oil over a medium and fry the onion and garlic for 2 minutes, until the onion becomes transparent, stirring occasionally. Pour in the white wine and reduce the heat to allow the wine to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Then, add the stock, cream and 0.25 tsp tarragon, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the mafalde pasta and simmer until it's al dente, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the pasta is cooking and the chicken and asparagus have cooled down, slice the chicken into strips, and cut the asparagus into roughly 2.5cm lengths. Add the chicken and asparagus to the pasta for the last 5 minutes of cooking to heat it through and also to get more tarragon flavour through the sauce.
- Stir in the parmesan until it melts through the sauce. Remove from the heat and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Garnish with extra parmesan and freshly ground black pepper and maybe some homemade bread on the side!
Notes
- Chicken breasts will also work if you don't have skinless boneless chicken thighs. I'd suggest you butterfly them before seasoning and searing them at step 1.
- Mafalde is a flat and wide, ribbon-shaped pasta that I buy from Amazon. Tagliatelle can be used as an alternative.
- This tarragon chicken and asparagus mafalde recipe is easily adapted if you're cooking for less people.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Graeme Jack says
This was really easy to prepare and went down very well with everyone. Definitely another one for my recipe book.
Deborah says
I'm really glad to hear that you all enjoyed this recipe!! We love the combination of tarragon and chicken too.