Chicken Pasta DaVinci (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
A restaurant-quality copycat of Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Pasta DaVinci featuring tender seared chicken, earthy cremini mushrooms, and rigatoni tossed in a rich, silky Madeira wine reduction finished with cream and fresh thyme. Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet elegant enough for company.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces I like boneless-skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms (baby bellas), sliced
- 2 medium Shallots, finely diced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- ½ cup Madeira wine Use dry sherry as a replacement
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup baby spinach, packed add additional cup if you prefer
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 package Rigatoni pasta reserve some pasta water to finish the dish.
- Grated or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Cook rigatoni in salted water until al dente; reserve pasta water.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, sear in heated oil until golden and cooked through, then set aside.
- Brown mushrooms thoroughly in the skillet, then soften shallots until golden. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in Madeira wine, scraping up browned bits, and reduce by half.
- Add the chicken broth and allow it to start reducing, stiring occasionally and then stir in heavy cream. Stir the sauce until everything is combined and sauce begins to thicken, taste and adjust seasonings.
- While the sauce is beginning to thicken, chop the chicken into manageable bite-size pieces and add to the sauce. Stir occasionally until desired thickness. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings. Add the baby spinach and cook swirling in the sauce until softened, about 1 minute
- add in a splash of pasta water, then add the Rigatoni and toss. Add 2 pats of cold butter and toss until melted and the rigatoni glistens. Serve Hot. and garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Notes
Madeira wine, for cooking, can be difficult to find. The expensive version is readily available in Liquor & Wine stores, so call around and ask if the store carries Taylor Made brand, which can be half the cost.
If you can't locate it, I would opt for Dry Sherry not Marsala as Marsala will turn this into a Chicken Marsala forward dish.
If you can't locate it, I would opt for Dry Sherry not Marsala as Marsala will turn this into a Chicken Marsala forward dish.
