Gigi Paris is the kind of dish that shows up in a tiny bistro with red-checkered napkins and a chalkboard menu: seared chicken, mushrooms, and a glossy garlic cream sauce clinging to every strand of pasta. It is named for the friend who first made it for me on a rainy night in the 11th arrondissement, and I have been chasing that plate ever since.
Advertisements1
The magic is in the layering. You sear the chicken hard enough to build a golden crust, use the same pan to brown the mushrooms until their edges squeak, then deglaze with white wine so the sauce tastes like something a chef fussed over. A splash of cream, a fistful of Parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon at the end keep it rich but never heavy.
It comes together in one skillet plus a pasta pot, and the sauce finishes cooking in the time it takes the rigatoni to boil. Weeknight-special, but honestly good enough for company.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
12 oz (340g) rigatoni or penne
Ridged tubes trap the cream sauce best; fusilli or casarecce work well if that is what you have.
10 oz (280g) cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Creminis are more flavorful than white buttons; wipe them with a damp paper towel instead of rinsing so they brown instead of steam.
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
Fresh garlic only here; jarred garlic tastes metallic in a cream sauce. One small shallot can stand in for half the garlic if you want it milder.
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, nothing oaky; substitute 1/2 cup chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice if avoiding alcohol.
1 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream
For a lighter sauce, use 3/4 cup cream plus 1/2 cup whole milk, but do not go below 3/4 cup cream or the sauce may break.
3/4 cup (75g) freshly grated Parmesan
Grate it yourself from a wedge; pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch and clumps in cream sauces.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Split between searing and finishing; salted butter works if you cut the added salt in half.
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
Diamond Crystal kosher salt measures differently than Morton; use 3/4 teaspoon if using Morton.
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Crack it just before cooking; pre-ground pepper loses its punch fast.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon lemon zest, to finish
Flat-leaf parsley, not curly, for flavor; lemon zest is not optional, it brightens the whole cream sauce.
Tips & Tricks
Do Not Crowd the Pan
Sear the chicken and mushrooms in batches so they brown instead of steam; a crowded pan drops in temperature and gives you gray, rubbery results.
Save Your Pasta Water
Scoop out a full cup before draining; the starchy water is what emulsifies the cream and butter into a glossy sauce rather than a greasy one.
- Keep the Heat Low After the Cream Goes In: Once cream is added, never let it boil hard or it can split; a gentle simmer at 195F to 200F (90C to 93C) is perfect.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Boil the Pasta
Bring 4 quarts (3.8L) of water to a rolling boil, salt it with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and cook the rigatoni 1 minute shy of the package time, about 10 minutes, until just shy of al dente with a firm bite at the center. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
2. Sear the Chicken
Pat the thighs dry, season with half the salt and pepper, and sear in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon butter at 400F (204C) pan temperature for 5 to 6 minutes per side until deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reads 175F (79C). Rest on a board for 5 minutes, then slice.
3. Brown the Mushrooms
Lower heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon butter and the mushrooms to the same skillet. Cook 6 to 7 minutes without stirring for the first 3 minutes, until the edges are deeply browned and they squeak against the pan, then season with a pinch of salt.
4. Bloom the Garlic
Push mushrooms to the side, add the garlic, and stir for 45 seconds until fragrant but not browned; burnt garlic turns a cream sauce bitter.
5. Deglaze with Wine
Pour in the white wine and scrape up every browned bit with a wooden spoon. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes at 200F (93C) until the wine smells sweet rather than sharp and the pan is nearly dry.
6. Build the Cream Sauce
Lower the heat to medium-low, pour in the cream, and simmer gently at 195F (90C) for 4 to 5 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil.
7. Melt in the Parmesan
Pull the pan off the heat, whisk in the Parmesan and remaining salt and pepper until completely smooth, then return to low heat.
8. Toss and Finish
Add the pasta and sliced chicken with a splash of pasta water and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce clings to every tube. Off heat, whisk in the last tablespoon of cold butter, lemon zest, and parsley, then serve immediately.
Delicious Variations
Shrimp Gigi
Swap the chicken for 1 lb large shrimp seared 90 seconds per side and add them back at the end so they stay snappy.
Mushroom-Only Gigi
Double the mushrooms to 20 oz and add 1/2 cup toasted walnuts for a hearty vegetarian version with real texture.
Spicy Tomato Gigi
Stir 2 tablespoons tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes into the garlic step for a rosier, punchier sauce.
How to Store Gigi Paris
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container up to 3 days; the sauce thickens cold, so reheat with a splash of milk or water.
Freezer
Freeze the sauce and chicken without pasta for up to 2 months in a freezer bag; pasta freezes mushy, so cook fresh.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with 2 tablespoons liquid, stirring until glossy; avoid the microwave, which can split the cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Gigi Paris made of?
Gigi Paris is a creamy garlic butter pasta with seared chicken thighs, browned cremini mushrooms, white wine, heavy cream, and Parmesan. It is a bistro-style one-pan chicken and mushroom cream sauce tossed with rigatoni.
Q: Can I make Gigi Paris without wine?
Yes, replace the wine with 1/2 cup chicken broth mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and simmer it the same way. The sauce loses a little acidity, so taste and add an extra squeeze of lemon at the end.
Q: Why did my cream sauce curdle?
It curdled because the cream boiled hard or cold ingredients hit a hot pan. Keep the sauce at a gentle 195F (90C) simmer, add Parmesan off the heat, and let the cream come to room temperature before pouring it in.
Q: Can I make Gigi Paris ahead of time?
You can make the sauce and chicken up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate them separately from the pasta. Reheat the sauce slowly with a splash of milk and toss with freshly boiled pasta so it stays silky.
Q: What pasta is best for Gigi Paris?
Ridged tube pasta like rigatoni or penne is best because the grooves hold the thick cream sauce. Fusilli, casarecce, or farfalle are good substitutes if you want more surface area.
Make Gigi Paris tonight and tag me in your photos, because that glossy sauce deserves an audience. Save this recipe for the next rainy evening when you need a bistro dinner without leaving the house.
Gigi Paris
Gigi Paris is a creamy garlic butter pasta with chicken and mushrooms, ready in 50 minutes and rich enough to feel like a Parisian bistro dinner at home.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 12 oz (340g) rigatoni or penne
- 10 oz (280g) cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream
- 3/4 cup (75g) freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon lemon zest, to finish
📋 Instructions
- 1Boil the Pasta — Bring 4 quarts (3.8L) of water to a rolling boil, salt it with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and cook the rigatoni 1 minute shy of the package time, about 10 minutes, until just shy of al dente with a firm bite at the center. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- 2Sear the Chicken — Pat the thighs dry, season with half the salt and pepper, and sear in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon butter at 400F (204C) pan temperature for 5 to 6 minutes per side until deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reads 175F (79C). Rest on a board for 5 minutes, then slice.
- 3Brown the Mushrooms — Lower heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon butter and the mushrooms to the same skillet. Cook 6 to 7 minutes without stirring for the first 3 minutes, until the edges are deeply browned and they squeak against the pan, then season with a pinch of salt.
- 4Bloom the Garlic — Push mushrooms to the side, add the garlic, and stir for 45 seconds until fragrant but not browned; burnt garlic turns a cream sauce bitter.
- 5Deglaze with Wine — Pour in the white wine and scrape up every browned bit with a wooden spoon. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes at 200F (93C) until the wine smells sweet rather than sharp and the pan is nearly dry.
- 6Build the Cream Sauce — Lower the heat to medium-low, pour in the cream, and simmer gently at 195F (90C) for 4 to 5 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil.
- 7Melt in the Parmesan — Pull the pan off the heat, whisk in the Parmesan and remaining salt and pepper until completely smooth, then return to low heat.
- 8Toss and Finish — Add the pasta and sliced chicken with a splash of pasta water and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce clings to every tube. Off heat, whisk in the last tablespoon of cold butter, lemon zest, and parsley, then serve immediately.
