Oh, and Tony Soprano called. He’ll be round for dinner. Mushrooms and Marsala wine are one of my favourite savoury flavour pairings. With or without cream, this sauce is just as at home with family-friendly meatballs as it is a date-night filet mignon.
Chicken Marsala pasta
If you’re not familiar with this Italian ingredient, Marsala is a sweet and syrupy fortified wine from Sicily and is the kingpin of this recipe. It’s burnt toffee and nuts aroma is what gives this, and any Marsala recipe, its rich undertones. I love cooking with wine anyway and finding different flavour profiles to enrich sauces with makes me very happy! Marsala sauce is traditionally made with mushrooms. I know I am an undeniable mushroom-lover, but I swear they were already there! And for good reason, pairing Marsala’s strong earthy flavour with woody mushrooms and sweet-fleshed chicken is a heavenly combination. I’ve made the dish even more complex with my own embellishments: a big splash of cream and a grating of salty Parmesan. I’m owning it! While I’ve used chestnut mushrooms in this recipe, it’s what I had in the fridge and I think it adds to the caramel colour of the dish, you could use any mushroom you choose. Personally, I avoid button and white mushrooms though. What do they really bring to the table? Chicken Marsala (no cream) with mashed potatoes is what’s usually served in my house so this creamy chicken pasta variation is a welcome change from the norm. Don’t feel bound to fettuccine if you don’t have any. Any long pasta like spaghetti or linguine will do the same job. And if all you have is fusilli or penne, who’s gonna know?
Serving suggestions
Already paired with ribbony fettuccine, this chicken pasta just needs some green on the side and who would refuse some garlic bread? My go-to garlic bread right now is this air fryer recipe as it is crammed with butter and herbs and ready in just 5 minutes! Or for something more modest in the flavour stakes, a simple sourdough focaccia. As for greens, this irresistibly soft and buttery miso roasted cabbage recipe is sublime. Or for more crunch, and a bit of an acidic slice through the creamy Marsala sauce: tenderstem broccoli with lemon garlic vinaigrette.
Storage and leftovers
Keeping leftover pasta is not really something I do. I find it too sticky and claggy the second time round. But I also battle with throwing good food away! This chicken marsala fettuccine will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat on the hob- you might need a splash of water or chicken stock to loosen it up and make sure the chicken pieces are piping hot in the centre before serving. Draw the line at freezing it though! A thawed and reheated creamy sauce is unpleasantly disappointing.
More recipes to try
Turkey Marsala Pot Pie Strawberry Marsala Cobbler Italian Rosemary Chicken Stew Pasta e Piselli
