Leftover Chicken, Courgette & Chestnut Mushroom Pasta with Lemon, Garlic & Parmesan
A quick, comforting pasta that transforms leftover roast chicken into a glossy, lemony sauce with tender courgette and mushrooms.
Stretched a roast chicken too far? This pasta is the culinary equivalent of turning yesterday’s success into today’s encore. It’s quick, forgiving and uses everyday store-cupboard ingredients to build a bright, creamy sauce that keeps the meat moist and flavours fresh.
Make it when you want dinner in under 40 minutes—perfect for midweek rescue missions or feeding a few friends without standing at the hob all evening. The lemon and parmesan lift the richness, so it never feels heavy.
Ingredients
- 320 g dried pasta
- 500 g leftover cooked chicken — shredded or roughly chopped
- 30 ml olive oil
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 1 brown onion — finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed
- 2 courgettes — cut into 1cm half-moons
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 15 ml plain flour
- 150 ml chicken stock — preferably hot
- 100 ml double cream
- 1 lemon — zest and juice
- 60 g grated parmesan — plus extra to serve
- 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley — roughly chopped
- 5 ml chilli flakes — optional
- 5 ml salt — plus extra to taste; for the pasta water use separate pinch
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add a pinch of salt. Cook the dried pasta for 9–11 minutes until just al dente (check packet for timing). Reserve 100 ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and unsalted butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.
Add the garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the courgettes and chestnut mushrooms. Increase the heat slightly and fry for 6–8 minutes until the veg are golden and any liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
Sprinkle in the plain flour and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
Gradually pour in the hot chicken stock, stirring to combine, then add the double cream, lemon zest and the juice of half the lemon. Bring to a gentle simmer for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. If it looks too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
Add the leftover cooked chicken, drained pasta and grated parmesan to the pan. Toss or stir thoroughly over low heat so everything is warmed through and the cheese melts into the sauce. Add chilli flakes, the remaining lemon juice if needed, and season with salt and black pepper. If the sauce is too tight, loosen with a little reserved pasta water.
Divide between warm plates, scatter over the fresh flat-leaf parsley and extra grated parmesan. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Tips
- Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces so it heats through quickly and doesn’t dry out.
- Reserve some starchy pasta water to loosen the sauce—it adds silkiness without extra cream.
- If your leftover chicken is very lean (no skin), add the extra tablespoon of butter at the end for mouthfeel.
- Use fresh lemon zest and juice separately: zest for aroma, juice to balance the sauce at the end.
- Make ahead: keep sauce and pasta separate, then gently reheat and combine for a quicker finish.
Substitutions
leftover cooked chicken → leftover cooked turkey or rotisserie chicken, same quantity
Stays closedouble cream → 150 ml crème fraîche (stir in off the heat for a tangier, slightly lighter sauce)
Noticeably differentdried pasta → fresh pasta 400 g (reduce cooking time to 2–4 minutes)
Stays closegrated parmesan → grana padano or pecorino (pecorino will be saltier and sharper)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 766
- Calories
- 55 g
- Protein
- 60 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 650 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use cold leftover chicken straight from the fridge?
Yes—add it to the sauce in step 6 and heat gently until warmed through (2–3 minutes). Avoid prolonged cooking to prevent drying.
How do I stop the sauce splitting?
Keep the heat low when you add the double cream and do not boil it hard. If it looks unstable, remove the pan from the heat and stir in a splash of reserved pasta water.
Can I freeze this dish?
Cooked pasta with cream sauces doesn’t freeze well—the texture changes. You can freeze the leftover chicken and the sauce separately (no pasta) for up to 2 months and combine when reheating.
How do I make this gluten-free?
Use a gluten-free pasta and replace the plain flour with 1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in a little cold stock before adding to the pan; mix in and simmer until thickened.
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