From the stove to the table in under a half hour, chicken thighs are braised in a delicate and silky wine-spiked mustard and tarragon sauce and then served over mafaldine pasta and finished with toasted bread crumbs and fried capers.
I initially created this French-inspired recipe for The Savory Tart using rigatoni. It was always my desire to use mafaldine pasta when creating, but came up short when trying to source it locally. That is until local restauranteur Drew Statz at Semo Pasta & Wine of Fremont, Nebraska ventured into the retail space offering the same fresh pasta that has won his restaurant a bevy of well-deserved accolades.
Last year, I ventured to NYC in the dead of winter, in part to take advantage of NYC Restaurant Week. This included a visit to the more casual and energetic à la carte dining experience of Michelin two-star restaurant The Modern, The Bar Room at The Modern. It is housed in MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art). I chose the Hand-cut Mafaldine with Braised Rabbit as my entree and savored every last bit of it along with the mustard seed studded sauce.
To the best of memory, I'd not had pasta in a mustard sauce before and upon return was inspired to recreate this for what at the time was a fledgling blog, opting for more readily available chicken thighs, specifically from local source Plum Creek Farms instead of rabbit. (While chicken is far more accessible, I'm nearly certain I would have overthought that "Thumper-thing" if prepared in my home. IYKYK.)
And while there is something magical about fine dining while gazing out upon MoMA's sculpture garden with a light dusting of snow, this recipe resulted in exactly what I was hoping for, and geez, really... who needs MoMA when you can create your own art in the comfort of your home kitchen -- and all the better with fresh pasta. I love that this is so easy to prepare and is perfect for a weeknight meal or entertaining; the three minute boil time on Semo's pasta is a boon for pronto prep!
Ingredients
Mafaldine, also known as Mafalda or Reginette (which translates to "little queens" in Italian), is a long wide-ish flat pasta with ruffled edges -- ideal for holding onto delicate sauces like this one. When prepared using Semo's fresh pasta, you will find that it has the perfect toothsome bite and nearly takes on a lively bit of "bounce"!
Fresh pasta from Semo can be found in the Omaha metro area at Take Root Farm Stop (5018 Underwood Avenue, Omaha), J. Gorat’s Deli + Market (1220 South 203rd Street, Elkhorn), Fariner Bakery (120 North 14th St in Ashland) and Wine, Beer and Spirits (435 Oak View Drive, Omaha).
- mafaldine pasta
- extra-virgin olive oil
- skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- shallots
- dry white wine
- chicken stock
- heavy cream
- grainy mustard
- dijon mustard
- fresh tarragon
- breadcrumbs (or sub those made from The Savory Tart's Brown Butter Mustard Croutons)
- bread crumbs
- garlic
- fried capers
- neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil
- capers
- parsley
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet.
Cook, turning once, until browned but not cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off any fat in the skillet.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until softened, scraping up browned bits.
Increase heat to medium high. Add the wine and cook until reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes.
Whisk in the chicken stock, cream and mustard and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 8 minutes.
Prepare breadcrumbs: In a medium nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.
Prepare fried capers: Pour oil into a small skillet to ⅛" deep. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering (350°F).
Add capers to the pan and fried until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove capers from oil using a slotting spoon and drain on a paper towel.
Return the chicken and accumulated juices to the skillet and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes; Stir in the tarragon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over mafaldine and top with breadcrumbs, fried capers and parsley.
Hint: Pasta and Chicken in Mustard and Tarragon Sauce is the perfect meal to make in advance. Make it on a Sunday for a weeknight meal that can be warmed up covered in an oven-proof dish for 25 minutes at 275°F. (Make the fried capers and breadcrumbs in advance. I make both in quantity and store them covered. I love the fried capers on top of a Caesar salad!)
Serve this pasta and chicken with a simple salad such as my Pear, Fennel and Arugula Salad with Pistachios or Arugula and Orange Salad with Manchego in Citrus Dressing
Substitutions
- Chicken Thighs - if you prefer white meat, substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders. Or consider substituting sliced browned chicken sausage.
- Rigatoni - I like how mafaldine holds sauce, but if not readily available, substitute rigatoni, farfalle pasta (bowtie shaped), radiatore, penne -- or even serve it over egg noodles. Or simply spoon it over toasted French bread.
- Shallots - substitute diced yellow onion
- Fresh Tarragon - substitute 1-½ teaspoons dried tarragon instead of 2 tablespoons fresh.
- Mustard Bread Crumbs -- substitute seasoned prepackaged croutons
Variations
I will be making this again and again and plan to try the following:
- Mushrooms - Sauté 8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms with the shallots
- Fennel - Dice a cored fennel bulb and saute for 6 - 8 minutes prior to sautéing the shallots. Garnish finished dish with reserved fennel fronds
- Crème fraîche - Truth be told that I added a few scoops of crème fraîche to this prior to serving to add a bit of decadence
Equipment
- large saute pan or skillet
- stock pot or large saucepan for pasta
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days. Reheat over medium heat on the stove top or in the oven at 275°F for 25 minutes.
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Pasta and Chicken in Mustard and Tarragon Sauce
Equipment
- small, medium and large skillets
- stock pot for pasta
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 ounces mafaldine pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1-½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in ½" strips
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 2 large shallots, minced
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 1-½ cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
- 1-½ cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (or 1-½ teaspoons dried)
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons capers, patted dry
- vegetable or canola oil
- minced parsley, optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until browned but not cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off any fat remaining in the skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add the wine and cook until reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock, cream and mustard and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 8 minutes.
- Prepare breadcrumbs: In a medium nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Prepare fried capers: Pour oil into a small skillet to ⅛" deep. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering (350°F). Add capers to the pan and fried until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove capers from oil using a slotting spoon and drain on a paper towel.
- Return the chicken and accumulated juices to the skillet and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked through, about a 6 minutes; Stir in the tarragon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve chicken and tarragon sauce over mafaldine pasta and top with breadcrumbs, fried capers and parsley..
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