Description
This Creamy Chicken Marsala with Fettuccine is my foolproof, best-ever take on the Italian-American classic.
After obsessively testing this recipe, I cracked the code: double the mushrooms, double the Marsala wine. The result? Juicy, golden-brown chicken cutlets simmered in a rich Marsala wine sauce with heavy cream and fresh thyme.
Paired with delicate egg fettuccine, this cozy dinner comes together in 50 minutes or less—easy enough for weeknights and great for entertaining!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
- heaping ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 3-4 tablespoons DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
- 5-6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms (baby bella), quartered
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme (can substitute 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves)
- 1 cup dry marsala wine (see Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup chicken stock/broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
for the parmesan buttered noodles:
- 8.8 ounces DeLallo Egg Fettuccine or pasta of choice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan
Instructions
- Prep: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, generously season the water with salt.
- Prepare the chicken cutlets: Carefully butterfly each chicken breast, slicing it in half lengthwise. Use a meat mallet to lightly pound each piece of chicken into uniform thickness. (If you do not have a meat tenderizer, drape a piece of parchment paper over the chicken and pound it out with a rolling pin.)
- Dredge the chicken: Season the chicken liberally with garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and ground black pepper if desired. Place ⅓ cup of the flour on a large plate or shallow bowl. Working one by one, place the chicken into the flour, coating it with a light dusting. Shake off excess flour and set aside. Reserve any remaining flour, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour to the plate.
- Brown the chicken: Add 2 tablespoons each olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken cutlets to the skillet, working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding the skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply browned and nearly cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside. If needed, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil and butter to the pan between batches and repeat with any remaining chicken.
- Brown the aromatics and mushrooms: To the same skillet used to cook the chicken, add 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter. Once melted, add the mushrooms. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are softened and juicy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the yellow onion, garlic, and thyme. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes longer.
- Prepare the creamy marsala sauce: Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet with the mushrooms. Once melted, stir in the reserved flour. Cook 1-2 minutes, then deglaze the skillet by slowly pouring in the marsala wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the chicken stock and simmer 3-5 minutes longer, until thickened. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the heavy cream. Cook until just heated through—do not bring to a boil. If the sauce it a little too thick, thin it out with a splash of chicken stock. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Boil the pasta: Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, to al dente according to package directions. Carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta – do not rinse. Tip! ⇢ For a perfectly timed meal, wait to drop the pasta until you’re building the marsala sauce, Step 6. (Learn more! ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)
- Toss the buttered noodles: Return the cooked pasta to the pot with the butter and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine well – the butter and cheese should evenly coat the pasta. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce needs to loosen up a little; increase the heat if it needs to tighten up more. Remove from the heat for serving.
- Serve immediately, serving the buttered fettuccine with the chicken cutlets. Drizzle extra marsala sauce over top as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Marsala is a Sicilian fortified wine (i.e. Italian wine that is “fortified” with a distilled spirit, most often brandy). It has amazing rich caramelly and vanilla notes, and it is wonderful to cook with. You should be able to find marsala in the fortified wine section at your favorite wine or liquor shop. Dry marsala labeled “Fine” (fino) or “Superior” is great for cooking. If you cannot find marsala, the closest substitute for this recipe is Madiera, a Portuguese fortified wine with similar flavor profiles to Italian marsala.
- For a beautifully thick and creamy marsala sauce, I sometimes thicken the marsala sauce even further with a quick and simple cornstarch slurry. Once you’ve added the heavy cream to the sauce in Step 6, simply spoon a few tablespoons of the warm sauce into a small bowl with 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Whisk to combine well, then stir the cornstarch slurry back into the skillet. The marsala sauce will thicken almost instantly, taking on a glossy, creamy texture.
Storage, Reheating, and Meal Prep:
- Storage and Reheating: Transfer cooled chicken marsala fettuccini to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, adding a splash of water or chicken stock as needed to loosen up the creamy marsala sauce.
- 15-20 Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work this recipe is for prepping the chicken cutlets and vegetables. Take care of some of this in advance and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
- Pound out the chicken cutlets according to Step 2, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. At dinnertime, all you have to do is dredge and cook – easy! (5 minutes active)
- Veggie prep: Clean, trim, and quarter 1 pound mushrooms and finely dice ½ yellow onion. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (10-15 minutes active)