This pasta combines ground pork, chicken livers, and mixed mushrooms into a thick, savoury sauce that clings to penne. The livers add a richness that ground pork alone can’t match, and the capers, anchovies, and lemon keep the whole thing from feeling heavy. It takes 45 minutes start to finish and uses one pan for the sauce.
Why this recipe works
Two things make this dish work. First, the meat is cooked in stages — livers and pork separately from the mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes — so nothing gets waterlogged or grey. Crowding a pan drops the temperature and causes steaming instead of browning, which kills the flavour. Second, the anchovies and capers aren’t there to taste fishy or sharp on their own; they dissolve into the base and add a background saltiness that makes the pork and liver taste more like themselves. Don’t skip them even if they sound odd.
Shopping notes
- Chicken livers: Sold fresh or frozen at most supermarkets, often near the chicken. Fresh is fine; frozen works too — just thaw completely and pat dry before cooking or they’ll steam instead of sear. Trim away any green-tinged bits or visible connective tissue before cooking.
- Anchovies: Buy the small tins or jars packed in oil. You only need three, so store the rest covered in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- Mixed mushrooms: Any combination works — cremini, shiitake, oyster. Avoid button mushrooms only; they release a lot of water and don’t add much flavour.
- Spanish onion: A regular yellow onion is a fine substitute.
- Roma tomatoes: Chosen because they’re less watery than other varieties. If yours are very ripe and wet, squeeze out some of the seeds before dicing.
Keeping and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a pan over medium-low heat with a small splash of water to loosen the sauce — the pasta will have absorbed liquid overnight. Microwave reheating works but tends to dry out the livers. This dish doesn’t freeze well; the livers turn grainy and the pasta goes mushy. Make it fresh or halve the recipe if you’re cooking for fewer people.
Common problems and fixes
- Livers are rubbery or tough: They were overcooked. Chicken livers cook fast — a few minutes per side on medium-high is enough. Pull them from the pan when they still look slightly pink inside; they’ll finish cooking when returned to the pan at the end. The internal temperature must reach 165°F (74°C), but that happens quickly.
- Sauce tastes flat or dull: The lemon juice is doing more work than it looks. Add it gradually at the end and taste as you go — it wakes up the whole pan. A little extra salt at this stage also helps.
- Mushrooms are soggy and pale: The pan wasn’t hot enough, or they were stirred too often. Use high heat and let them sit undisturbed for a full minute between tosses. Skip the garnish of extra raw mushrooms on top — not worth the extra dish.
- Pasta is clumping before it goes into the sauce: Toss the drained penne with a tiny drizzle of olive oil if you’re not adding it to the pan immediately. Don’t rinse it — rinsing washes off the starch that helps the sauce stick.
- Dish is too salty: Anchovies, capers, and Parmesan are all salty. Hold back on added salt during cooking and season properly only at the end, after everything is combined.
Chicken Liver, Pork & Mushroom Pasta (45-Min Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
7 oz chicken livers - trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces, about 200g
- 9 oz mixed mushrooms - cremini, oyster, or shiitake — cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces, about 250g
- ½ medium Spanish onion - finely diced
- 2 teaspoons baby capers - roughly minced, about 10g
- 3 small anchovy fillets - minced, about 10g
- 3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley - roughly chopped, about 15g / 1/2oz
Instructions
- Brush the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and cut them into bite-sized pieces, trimming off hard stalks if necessary.9 oz mixed mushrooms
- Finely dice Spanish onion and chop the garlic cloves.1/2 medium Spanish onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Roughly chop parsley and dice Roma tomatoes into roughly 1-centimetre cubes.2 medium Roma tomatoes, 3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley
- Finely mince the baby capers and anchovy fillets.2 teaspoons baby capers, 3 small anchovy fillets
- In a large pot, boil the penne pasta until just al dente, then drain and set aside.10.5 oz penne pasta
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken livers and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until browned on the outside but still slightly pink inside (they will finish cooking later). Transfer to a bowl.7 oz chicken livers, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the ground pork to the same pan, breaking it into small pieces, and cook for 5-6 minutes until well browned and cooked through to about 90%. Transfer to the bowl with the livers.14 oz ground pork (minced pork)
- Using the same pan, adding a little more oil, fry the mushrooms on high heat. Do not constantly stir the mushrooms as this will encourage moisture seeping out — just give the mushrooms a few light tosses once every minute until cooked and golden. Set aside.9 oz mixed mushrooms, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Fry off onions and garlic until slightly caramelised using the same pan, then add capers, anchovies, and tomatoes. Toss together. Return the pork, chicken livers, mushrooms, and cooked pasta to the pan and toss everything together over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until heated through and the sauce clings to the pasta. Ensure chicken livers reach an internal temperature of 165°F / 74°C before serving. Cut the thickest piece open to confirm there is no raw, dark-red interior.1/2 medium Spanish onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons baby capers, 3 small anchovy fillets, 2 medium Roma tomatoes, 14 oz ground pork (minced pork), 7 oz chicken livers, 9 oz mixed mushrooms, 10.5 oz penne pasta
- Add extra salt and pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Sprinkle in parsley.1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 medium lemon, 3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley
- Divide into bowls and finish off with grated Parmesan cheese.1 cup Parmesan cheese
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Do I have to use chicken livers, or can I leave them out?
You can leave them out, but the sauce will be noticeably less rich. If you want to keep the depth without liver, add an extra handful of mushrooms and an extra anchovy fillet to compensate.
How do I know when the chicken livers are cooked safely?
Chicken livers must reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) — never serve them pink in the centre. A meat thermometer is the most reliable check; alternatively, cut the thickest piece open and make sure there’s no raw, dark-red interior before the final toss.
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Yes. Rigatoni or fusilli both work well because they hold chunky sauce. Avoid thin pasta like spaghetti or angel hair — the pieces of liver and mushroom won’t stay on the noodles.
The recipe calls for 4 pounds of ground pork — is that right for 4 servings?
That quantity is unusually large for a four-person pasta dish; most similar recipes use around 1 pound (450g) for four servings. Check the amount against your own appetite and scale down if needed — the recipe card notes quantities are adjustable.
Can I use dried parsley instead of fresh?
Fresh parsley is worth buying here because it’s stirred in at the end as a finishing herb, not cooked into the sauce. Dried parsley added at the finish tastes dusty rather than bright. If fresh isn’t available, a small squeeze of extra lemon does a better job than dried herbs.
My livers have a very strong smell — are they still good?
Fresh chicken livers have a mild metallic smell, which is normal. A strong sour or ammonia-like odour means they’ve turned and should be discarded. When in doubt, check the use-by date and look for any grey or greenish discolouration.
Try these next
- Savory Pork Noodle Stir-Fry
- Hearty Beef Mushroom Stroganoff
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Wild Venison Mushroom Pies
