Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just under al dente, about one minute less than the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper and lightly coat with flour if using.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs smooth side down and cook for about 7 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5 minutes or until fully cooked through. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil.

In the same skillet, add the butter. If needed, drizzle in a little extra olive oil. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook the mushrooms for 5–7 minutes, stirring only once or twice, until beautifully golden brown.

Add the garlic and fresh herbs. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Pour in the chicken broth or white grape juice substitute and allow it to simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.

Add the cream and stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer without letting it boil.

Push the mushrooms to one side of the skillet. Add the Parmesan cheese in two batches, stirring between each addition until melted into the sauce.

Stir in the black pepper, sea salt, and lemon juice.

Slice the cooked chicken into strips.

Add the chicken and cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss everything together until well coated. Let the Chicken and Mushroom Pasta simmer gently for 1–2 minutes.

If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water until the desired consistency is reached.

Stir in the parsley and serve immediately with lemon zest and extra Parmesan cheese.