Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce and Universal Orlando

A recipe for Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce inspired by our visit to Universal Orlando! Fettuccine is tossed with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and red onions, then topped it with grilled chicken and a mushroom cream sauce.

Universal Orlando

We had a couple of tickets to Disney World leftover from our October 2013 trip, so we used them recently for Evan’s birthday! I will be sharing our week in Orlando, Florida in a series of blog posts along with recipes inspired by the food.

Check out the rest of our week here:

• Caprese Pizza and Disney’s Magic Kingdom
• Baghrir (Moroccan Semolina Pancakes) and Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
• Pierogi Ruskie (Polish Dumplings with Potatoes and Cheese) and Downtown Disney
• Shrimp Pesto Pizza and POP Century
• Bobotie (South African Spiced Meat Casserole) and Animal Kingdom
• Naan Breakfast Sandwich and Art of Animation
• Fruit Gummy Legos and Legoland Florida
• Cornish Pasties (Cornish Pastry Filled with Beef and Vegetables) and Universal Orlando

In my Universal Orlando Part 1 post, I covered Universal Studios and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Hogsmeade in Universal Islands of Adventure. Today, I am recapping the rest of Islands of Adventure.

Seuss Landing

Evan’s favorite area in Islands of Adventure was Seuss Landing. There was so much for him to see and only one ride he did not reach the height requirement for (The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride).

He especially enjoyed the Caro-Seuss-el, of course, and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.

We were walking by just as the characters came out. Evan really loved Thing 1 and Thing 2. Thanks to the low crowd level, he was able to spend a good bit of time visiting with them. The only character he refused to visit was Sam-I-am (no idea why). He just kept bypassing Sam-I-am to go back to the others.

Mythos

For lunch on our first day at Universal, we had reservations for Mythos. Mythos was awarded the best Theme Park restaurant for multiple years in a row (2003-2008) by Theme Park Insider.

It is beautifully decorated inside and out and there is something on the menu for everyone, from sandwiches, pasta, and risotto to more gourmet items like Beef Medallions.

One thing I did enjoy about Universal more than Disney was how easy it was to plan the details of our trip. For Disney, I had to book dining reservations months in advance to get decent time slots. Same goes for fast passes. At Universal, I used Open Table to book the reservation Mythos a couple of weeks before our trip with no issues.

We were seated almost immediately and got a booth right next to a waterfall fountain. This was great in keeping Evan occupied for a bit. Outdoor seating is available as well with great views of the park, but we enjoyed a break from the heat.

Chad ordered the Pan Seared Mahi Mahi. I got the Pasta of the Day- Grilled Chicken over Fettuccine with a Mushroom Cream Sauce. Evan shared from both of our plates. Everything was absolutely delicious. It was also comparable or even less expensive than most of the other restaurants we tried that week. The most expensive menu item (Cedar Planked Bay of Fundy Salmon) is 19.99. Since looking at the updated menu, neither of our dishes are currently available.

Evan took a nap in the stroller after lunch, then we spent some time at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and went back to Seuss Landing.

Jurassic Park Discovery Center

After spending the beginning of our second day at Universal Studios, we went back to Islands of Adventure to check out the other half of the park.

We somehow managed to miss Camp Jurassic, but Evan did enjoy the Jurassic Park Discovery Center. He and Chad spent some time playing on the computers and other interactive exhibits.

Me Ship, The Olive

Evan spent most of the afternoon exploring Me Ship, The Olive in Toon Lagoon. This three story ship had plenty to keep Evan busy. He spent about half the time just going up and down the stairs. There are also a few slides and other interactive playthings. He wasn’t tall enough for the water rides in Toon Lagoon and Chad and I didn’t care enough to use child swap for them.

Marvel Super Hero Island

There wasn’t much for Evan to do in Marvel Super Hero Island either, but he did like watching the super heroes in action.

Croissant Moon Bakery

On our way out of the park, we stopped by Croissant Moon Bakery for a snack to tide us over until dinner- a ham and cheese croissant sandwich and a vanilla eclair. The same menu options were also available at Beverly Hills Boulangerie in Universal Studios.

One of Evan’s favorite things about Universal was the moving walkway between the parks and the parking garage. He kept wanting to ride them back and forth.

Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Since my pasta dish at Mythos was so fantastic, I recreated a version at home. I tossed fettuccine with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and red onions, then topped it with grilled chicken and a pureed mushroom cream sauce. It was just as wonderful as I remembered.

There are a few steps to this dish, but none of them are overly complicated. The biggest thing that can make or break it is the chicken. Grilled chicken can quickly become dry if not prepared correctly.

Pound the chicken breasts until they are evenly 1/2 inch thick. If the chicken is large, I sometimes cut the breasts in half lengthwise before pounding them. I found this marinade from The Makeshift Nest and love it. Chad cooked the chicken on the grill at about medium high heat just until the internal temperature reached 165˚F. I let the chicken sit while I prepared the other ingredients before slicing.

I usually leave leftovers for Chad’s lunch, but ended up making something else for his lunch the next day and keeping the remaining pasta for myself. It was still delicious reheated.

Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce Recipe

Chicken adapted from The Makeshift Nest

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Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce

A recipe for Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce inspired by our visit to Universal Orlando! Fettuccine is tossed with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and red onions, then topped it with grilled chicken and a mushroom cream sauce.

Course Main

Cuisine N/A

Keyword chicken, mushroom, pasta

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Resting Time: 12 hours

Total Time 13 hours 5 minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

Roasted Vegetables:

• 1 small red onion thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms halved or quartered
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Mushroom Cream Sauce:

• 1 pound dried fettuccine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or oregano
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan

Instructions

To prep the chicken:

• In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, sugar, oregano, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
• Pound each breast until it is evenly about 1/2 inch thick. If too large, they can be split in half lengthwise. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To roast the vegetables:

• Preheat oven to 425˚F. In a large oven-safe skillet, toss together red onion slices, grape tomatoes, and mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
• Bake in preheated oven until the mushrooms have darkened, onions softened, and tomatoes are beginning to release their juices, about 20 minutes.

To cook the chicken:

• Set the grill to medium- medium high heat (~425˚F) and oil the grates. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade. Place on grill and cook for about 4 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil.

To cook the pasta and assemble:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook until al dente, just tender. Drain.
• While the fettuccine cooks, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, drizzle olive oil over medium heat.
• Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the mushrooms, then the rosemary.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms darken. Pour in the heavy cream. Use an immersion or stand blender to puree until smooth. If too thick, add a little more cream. If a stand mixer was used, return the sauce to the saucepan and place over low heat until heated through.
• In the emptied large pot, toss the fettuccine with the roasted vegetables, including any liquid. Slice the chicken breasts into strips. Serve the fettuccine immediately with chicken topped with mushroom cream sauce and parmesan cheese.