Monday, Nov. 5, 2012

Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta

I love comfort dishes-especially when it is a dreary day outside.  I was so excited at the prospect of snow, I love cross-country skiing and can’t wait to go!  But the weather’s been warm, the snow is almost all melted, and it’s started to rain.  My dreams are slowly fading-well for now, anyway.  I shouldn’t complain-our winters are usually quite long anyway.  I just get so impatient!

Back to the dish.  I was afraid the wine would overpower the dish but of course, I was wrong.  Paired with the cheese it makes for delicious sauce.  I doubled the recipe so I will have lots leftover for the week.  I discovered it doesn’t take too long to make, so it’s perfect for weeknight dinners.  Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta

Makes 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cut into bite sized pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

10-12 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound dry pasta + water for cooking (Penne)

3/4 cup Marsala cooking wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup Parmesan cheese + more for serving

salt and pepper to taste

minced, chopped fresh parsley for garnish

green onions, sliced thinly for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet until melted. Cook the chicken until lightly browned over medium-high heat. Transfer to a plate once cooked and set aside.

Boil water and cook pasta according to the directions.

In a large-sized skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the mushrooms and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet. Stir in the Marsala wine, chicken broth and cream. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the mushroom and chicken mixture with ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese and cook until the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce, about 1 minute, adding reserved cooking water as needed.

Season with salt and pepper and serve with additional Parmesan cheese and a garnish of chopped parsley and/or green onions. 

Source: minimally adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago?