Creamy Chicken Marsala with Pasta (Printable)

Tender chicken breasts simmered in a rich Marsala wine and mushroom cream sauce, perfect served over al dente pasta.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
02 - 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Sauce

07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
09 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 0.75 cup dry Marsala wine
11 - 0.75 cup low-sodium chicken broth
12 - 0.5 cup heavy cream
13 - 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
14 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Pasta

15 - 12 ounces fettuccine or spaghetti
16 - Salt for pasta water

→ Garnish

17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 0.5-inch thickness.
03 - In a shallow dish, combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 0.5 teaspoon pepper. Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture, shaking off excess.
04 - Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
05 - In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter and mushrooms. Sauté 4 to 5 minutes until mushrooms are browned. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
06 - Pour in Marsala wine, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Simmer 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
07 - Add chicken broth, cream, and thyme. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Return chicken and juices to the pan, coating thoroughly with sauce. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.
09 - Serve chicken and sauce over cooked pasta. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The Marsala wine creates a sauce so rich and glossy it clings to every strand of pasta like it was meant to be there.
  • Pounding the chicken flat means it cooks evenly and stays incredibly tender, no dry edges or raw centers.
  • You get restaurant-quality depth of flavor in under an hour, using ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
  • The mushrooms soak up all that winey, creamy goodness and become little flavor bombs in every bite.
02 -
  • Do not skip pounding the chicken, uneven thickness means part of it will be dry while the rest is perfectly cooked.
  • Let the mushrooms sit undisturbed in the pan for a minute or two before stirring so they develop a deep golden crust instead of steaming.
  • If your sauce looks too thin, let it simmer a bit longer, if it is too thick, splash in a little more broth or cream.
  • Use dry Marsala from the wine section, not the sweet version or cooking Marsala, because the flavor is much cleaner and more complex.
03 -
  • Let your skillet get really hot before adding the chicken so it sears instead of steams, that golden crust is where the flavor lives.
  • Save a cup of pasta water before draining, a splash of it can loosen the sauce and help it cling to the noodles perfectly.
  • If you are making this ahead, cook the chicken and sauce but wait to combine them until you reheat everything so the chicken does not get tough.
  • Use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet instead of nonstick so you get those delicious browned bits on the bottom that make the sauce so flavorful.
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