Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs worth) cut into bite size chunks
- 1 yellow onion, peeled, halved, and sliced
- two 8 oz containers of cremini mushrooms cut into quarters or slices (I keep them in quarters because, sadly, I live in a house divided. Two mushroomers and two anti-mushroomers, they can pick around them if they're bigger)
- sprig of rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
- A few sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and chopped (about 1/2 tablespoon)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1 cup marsala wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (Which usually ends up becoming a cup when I start grating...)
- few tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- olive oil
- 1 lb of your favorite pasta
Instructions
- Get a large pot of salted water boiling for your pasta of choice. Begin preparing the recipe, and when the water boils add your pasta and cook for the recommended amount of time while you finish the sauce.
- Generously season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet (mine is 12") with two tablespoons of butter and a few swirls of olive oil until the butter has melted and foamed and it's HOT, it's fine if the butter browns just a little, this will help the chicken get nice and brown, (get your pans hot before you add meat! Don't be afraid of the sizzle!).
- Add chicken to the properly heated pan, in a single layer and allow to brown on all sides, tossing as needed to get even browning, about 7-10 minutes. Work in batches if you need to. Remove to a plate or bowl.
- Lower heat to medium, add another tablespoon of butter, and swirl of oil to the pan. Add the onions and mushrooms, cook until they release their juices, become soft, and begin to brown, about 5 minutes (I sometimes cover my skillet to speed up the softening process, then uncover to get them browned).
- Add the garlic and herbs to the mushrooms, stir and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add marsala to the mushrooms and scrape the bottom of the skillet to release all the good brown bits. Reduce the marsala by half.
- Next, add chicken stock and cream and allow to thicken slightly for 2-3 minutes before adding the chicken back in. Cook for a few more minutes to get all the flavors re-acquainted.
- With the pan still over medium heat, add your cooked pasta and toss to combine, coating the noodles in the creamy, mushroomy sauce (this will not, and should not, be thick like an alfredo sauce but will thicken up with the pasta, as well as when you add the cheese). Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water if it seems too thick, this is really a matter of preference. When the sauce clings to the noodles, add the cheese and parsley off the heat, toss to combine, and serve!
Notes
recipe originally published 10/9/2103 updated on 10/2/2020
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: pasta, weeknight, 30 minute meal
- Method: stovetop