Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce and Universal Orlando

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

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 am 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. Thanks to the low crowd level, he was able to spend a good bit of time visiting with them.

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 (at the time of this post).

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, while 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.

Evan took a nap in the stroller after lunch, then we spent some time at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter before returning 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. They 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 him busy- with about half the time just going up and down the stairs.

There are also a few slides and other interactive playthings.

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 is marinating the chicken overnight and not overcooking it. Grilled chicken breasts can quickly become dry if not prepared correctly.

Pound the chicken until they are evenly 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) thick. If the chicken is large, I sometimes cut the breasts in half lengthwise.

I found the idea for the marinade over on The Makeshift Nest and love it. You can cook the chicken on an outdoor grill at about medium high heat or an indoor grill pan just until the internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 165˚F (74˚C).

After cooking the fettuccine noodles until just al dente, reserve about 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) of the pasta water before draining. This can be used to thin the sauce enough to coat the noodles if desired.

Season the roasted vegetables and mushroom cream sauce to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce Recipe

Adapted from The Makeshift Nest

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Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce

A recipe for Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce! This pasta is tossed with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and red onions, then paired with a mushroom cream sauce and topped with grilled chicken.

Course Main

Cuisine N/A

Keyword cherry tomato, chicken, fettuccine, mushroom, pasta, poultry

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 12 hours hours

Total Time 13 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) 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 (450 grams) boneless skinless chicken breasts

Roasted Vegetables:

• 1 small red onion thinly sliced
• 12 ounces (340 grams) cherry tomatoes halved
• 8 ounces (227 grams) cremini mushrooms halved or quartered
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mushroom Cream Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 8 ounces (227 grams) cremini mushrooms sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
• 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) heavy cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To assemble:

• 1 pound (450 grams) dried fettuccine
• Freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

To prepare the chicken:

• In a medium bowl, combine the 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 (1.25 centimeters) 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 400˚F (200˚C).
• Arrange the red onion slices, tomatoes, and mushrooms across a rimmed baking sheet.
• Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and arrange in a single layer.
• Bake in preheated oven until the mushrooms have darkened, onions softened, and tomatoes are beginning to release their juices, about 20-30 minutes.

To cook the chicken:

• Set the grill to medium- medium high heat (~425˚F, 220˚C) and oil the grates.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off. Place on the preheated grill and cook until golden on each side with an internal temperature at the thickest point 165˚F (74˚C).
• 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 and set aside 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) of the pasta water.
• While the fettuccine cooks, make the sauce. In a large saucepan, drizzle the olive oil over medium heat.
• Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened.
• Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the mushrooms, then the oregano leaves.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms darken. Pour in the heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Once heated through, use an immersion or stand blender to puree until smooth. If too thick to blend, 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 and the remaining ingredients are ready.
• Toss the fettuccine with the mushroom cream sauce until coated. If needed, slowly add the reserved pasta water until desired texture.
• Gently fold in the roasted vegetables, including any liquid.
• Slice the cooked chicken breasts into strips.
• Serve the fettuccine immediately with chicken and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.