• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Trim and slice mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick pieces (skip if your mushrooms are pre-sliced!). Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

• Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and slightly crispy, 5-7 minutes. • Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Wash out pan. Pat chicken or steak dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for mushrooms over medium-high heat. Add chicken or steak; cook chicken until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side, or cook steak to desired doneness, 3-6 minutes per side. Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Wash out pan.

• Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

• While pasta cooks, melt 2 TBSP plain butter (4 TBSP for 4 servings) in pan used for mushrooms over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites and cook until just softened, 1 minute. • Add flour and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. • Whisk in milk and 1⁄3 cup reserved pasta cooking water (1/2 cup for 4), breaking up any flour clumps. Simmer until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Use pan used for chicken or steak here.

• Stir cream cheese into pan with sauce until melted and combined. • Stir in mushrooms, drained cavatappi, and garlic herb butter. Season with salt and pepper. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce. Thinly slice chicken or steak against the grain; stir in along with mushrooms.

• Divide pasta between bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan and scallion greens. Serve.