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This easy chicken marsala pasta recipe has tender and succulent chicken, mushrooms, and a creamy marsala sauce. You’ll love this twist on the Italian American favorite!
Try my Chicken Marsala, Chicken Marsala Gnocchi, or Easy Creamy Pork Marsala next.
Why you’ll love it
Butter, mushrooms, a touch of garlic, and cream combine with the signature flavor of marsala wine to make the silky sauce in this easy marsala fettuccine recipe! It also has beautifully seasoned chicken that’s pan-fried to golden goodness. It’s just so yummy.
Marsala is delicious in savory recipes. It’s also versatile, so you can serve Marsala Sauce with many kinds of protein and pasta. This is a 30-minute meal that you won’t want to miss! It’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner but tasty enough for company. Yes, please.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I like a longer shape for this one, so I use fettuccine. Linguine or any shape works, though.
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying and the base of the sauce
- Chicken – we’re cutting chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces
- Garlic powder – it infuses flavor right into the chicken
- Flour – coating the chicken with flour helps keep it tender and nicely brown, and it thickens up the cream sauce
- Mushrooms – I use cremini mushrooms, but feel free to use another kind/your favorite
- Marsala – it’s a wine that is fortified with brandy. I used a semi-sweet (semi-secco) marsala wine for this recipe. There are very sweet ones out there, but those are better suited for desserts.
- Chicken broth – for more savory flavor in the sauce
- Dijon mustard – my go-to flavor enhancer! You don’t taste it itself specifically.
- Heavy cream – to make the sauce rich and delicious
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here is the cast iron skillet I use for many of my pasta recipes.
- The chicken bites are really easy to flip with kitchen tongs, and I combine the sauce with this whisk.
- I like how these measuring cups are angled for the liquid ingredients. You don’t need to crouch down and read the sides.
How to make chicken marsala pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, cut up the chicken and coat with the garlic powder and flour. Heat the oil and half the butter in a skillet, then pan fry the chicken until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining butter and the mushrooms.
Cook the mushrooms until the water is released and has been cooked off. Transfer them to the plate with the chicken. To the pan, whisk in the broth, marsala, and Dijon. Let it reduce for a couple of minutes. Add the cream, chicken, and mushrooms.
Let the sauce thicken and the chicken fully cook through. Taste, and season with salt & pepper as needed. Toss with the drained pasta. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese if using.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend substituting the cream for something lower fat. The sauce likely won’t thicken up properly.
- Marsala is what makes this sauce what it is! If you don’t have semi-secco, you could also use a dry marsala wine if you wish. There’s not really a substitute for marsala wine, but madeira could work in a pinch.
- If you need to skip the flour, you can thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry at the end.
What to serve with chicken marsala fettuccine
- Pair with a slice of fresh crusty bread and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping, and you’re good to go! Cheesy Garlic Bread? Don’t mind if I do.
- I like a salad with it as well. Try my Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad, or get a little creative and serve spring mix with my Creamy Pesto Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- I prefer eating this marsala fettuccine fresh, but you can store leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat over a low heat until warmed through, adding a splash of cream to thin out the sauce if needed.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one.
If you made this creamy chicken marsala pasta, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d like to hear from you. Tag me on Instagram with this or any S&L creations.
Chicken Marsala Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour for dredging
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup marsala wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to taste
Instructions
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook your pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and sprinkle them with garlic powder, then coat them in flour.
- Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken. Cook it for about 5 minutes, turning with tongs, until the chicken is slightly browned (it'll finish cooking later so don't overcook). Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms have released water and it's cooked off a bit. Take the mushrooms out of the pan (ok to put on same plate as the chicken).
- Add the chicken broth, marsala, and Dijon mustard to the pan. Stir/whisk until the mustard has dissolved and let it bubble for 2 minutes or so (it should reduce a bit).
- Add the cream, chicken, and mushrooms to the pan, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened and the chicken has cooked through.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed. Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce (add a little water from the pasta if needed to thin the sauce) and serve with parmesan cheese if using.
Notes
- I use a semi-secco (semi-sweet) marsala wine for this recipe (Cantine Pellegrino Marsala Fine). Dry marsala would also work.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on January 23, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Amazing
Thanks, Diane! 😀
Made this for dinner tonight, it was fast easy and very delicious 😋
Thanks, Alice!
This recipe is a wonderful addition to the others from Natasha. Easy to make & I made some additions based on other comments. Extra Marsala Wine (cup vs.half) parsley, Parmesan & corn starch slurry elevated the taste. Scored kudos from my husband. Will make, again.
Wonderful!! Thanks, Diane!
This is a keeper. We loved it. I doubled the recipe and tripled the sauce ingredients and it was perfect for us. Additionally, I added extra garlic.
Thanks, Emily!
What other pasta can be used?thank you
Hi! There’s suggestions in the blog post but whatever you’ve got is fine. Enjoy! 😊♥️
I used Penne and it worked great.
I enjoyed this recipe, especially how quick and easy it was to make! Next time, I’ll add more Marsala. There was only a bare hint of that flavor.
Thanks, Cathy! Yup, you could definitely up the marsala amount.
I made this recipe today. My two boys love my chicken Marsala so this looked like a good twist on my recipe. They loved it. They do like lots of mushrooms and sauce, so I increased the mushrooms. This will definitely go on my favorite recipe rotation.
PS: I forgot the Parmesan so I’ll be adding it next time. But it’s great even without it.
That’s so nice to hear! Thanks, Cat!
Good as written but recommend adding 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese at the end and mix though. I also added chopped shallots and garlic as recommended by others. The Marsala taste was just a hint, but overall the dish was good with the changes.
Glad you liked it!
While this was good, I was expecting more from the dish. I added a minced shallot to the sauce, because I had to use it before it turned bad. I made this is a bit of a rush, and I may have used a bit too much flour, making the sauce a lot thicker than a standard chicken marsala dish. I would definitely make this again with some adjustments primarily to the amount of liquids.
Good morning… I made this today for a nice lunch…. I loved the bite size pieces as my husband just had shoulder surgery… we love chicken Marsala and this is delicious… we like a lot of sauce I added a little more cream, broth and of course Marsala… I also added a little parsley and Basel. I high key recommend this version…… this will my new go to Marsala!!! Thank you
You’re welcome, Pat! I’m so happy you two enjoyed it! Hope your husband gets well soon. 🙂