This One Pot Creamy Chicken Marsala pasta is a classic Italian-American dish with a bit of a twist. The flavors of mushrooms, prosciutto, and Parmesan cheese meld together to create a rustic, creamy sauce that is delicious with the tender chicken! And cleanup is a breeze too.
Who doesn’t love a good pasta dish? To me there are very few things better than a big bowl of pasta, and this creamy, comforting chicken and mushroom combination is no exception.
This Chicken Marsala Pasta makes the best quick and tasty leftovers for those crazy busy weeks. Pasta dishes are one of our favorites for this reason, like our Cajun Chicken Alfredo, Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells, and Bacon Mushroom Risotto.
The pasta uses fairly simple, rustic ingredients like mushrooms, garlic, cream, parsley, grated cheese and a Marsala wine sauce. The prosciutto is a perfect touch to elevate this simple dish to extraordinary status. Oh, and the best part? You only dirty one pan and one baking dish. I call less dishes an added bonus.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Below is an overview of what you will need to make these with notes such as substitutions.
Penne Pasta – Penne is usually the best pasta for baking as it is very forgiving. However, you can use thicker pastas to grab every succulent bite of that sauce! Examples include rotini, cellentani, or farfalle.
Prosciutto – This is THE ingredient that makes this pasta amazing! While I highly recommend prosciutto, if it isn’t available, you could try other salty Italian meats such as pancetta or capicola.
Mushrooms – Button or baby bella mushrooms are best. If you want more of a mushroom flavor, use Portobello or porcini mushrooms.
Marsala Wine – Honestly, a decent cooking wine will taste great if you cook with wine much more often than you drink it. For table wine, Florio is a good one to try and you can find it at most liquor stores. There is a general rule that if it’s a bottle you would want to drink, it’s usually pretty good to cook with. Plus, you will have a bottle on hand to share if guests are coming!
Parmesan Cheese – I’m all about shredding cheese off a block for cost reasons, but pre-shredded is faster and less dishes.
Chicken Broth – Low sodium or regular chicken broth is fine.
Chicken Breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the easiest to cook.
Butter – Salted or unsalted butter is fine, as you can add salt and pepper to taste.
Milk and Heavy Cream– If it is easier, you can substitute half & half for both of these.
Fresh Parsley – completely optional! It just acts as a garnish to make the dish prettier. Remember you eat with your eyes as well.
Step by Step Recipe Guide
The full recipe for Chicken Marsala Pasta is in the recipe card below, but I include a step by step peak at my preparation for tips any questions that may arise.
- Prepare pasta in a large pot of water according to directions, drain, and set aside.
- Cook Chicken. I find it easiest and fastest to cook the chicken on the grill while I prepare the next steps. However, you can cook it in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is slightly browned and no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Crisp the prosciutto. The previous drippings should be left over, but you can add a tablespoon of olive oil if the pan is sticking. Cook until lightly crisp on the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove to the same plate as the chicken.
- Cook the mushrooms and garlic. Cook until mushrooms darken slightly and the juices are released. Remove to the chicken and prosciutto plate.
5. Make the sauce. In same saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute or until bubbly (left photo above). Stir in the Marsala and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, then whisk in ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese until melted. Remove from heat and add cream and milk (right photo above). Stir in mushrooms, prosciutto, and chicken.
6. Build the baking dish. Technically, you can serve this pasta right away without baking if you warm the sauce and toppings. However, I think baking for a crispy cheese crust brings the dish up to incredible! To a greased 9×13 baking dish, add pasta and spoon sauce over the top. Lightly mix the sauce into the dish. Top with reserved ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 uncovered for 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and starts to turn golden. Remove and top with chopped parsley, if desired.
Recipe Shortcuts in Under 30 Minutes
- Skip the baking. I love a good crispy, cheesy crust. However, everything is already cooked so you can serve immediately after making the sauce if you are pressed for time.
- Grill the chicken while everything else is making. If you have a gas grill, it’s super simple to grill it while the prosciutto, mushrooms, and sauce are making.
- Pound the chicken. For either grilling or sautéing, I find that using a good meat tenderizer to pound out the chicken to about ½- ¾ of an inch to be the right thickness.
SERVING AND STORAGE
Serve: After the dish come out of the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes to cool and thicken. Serve with a nice green salad, garlicky green beans, or steamed broccoli for a light side dish.
Store: Leftovers are amazing! It keeps them fresher and easier to reheat in the microwave. It is good for 4-5 days.
Reheat: This recipe keeps and reheats amazingly well in both the oven and the microwave.
- OVEN: Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- MICROWAVE: You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave by transferring to a microwave safe plate and microwaving for 60-90 seconds. Continue to microwave at 30 second intervals until heated thoroughly.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers or before baking. The ingredients in the cream sauce may separate and affect the texture. If there are any leftovers remaining, I prefer to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
Traditionally served with mashed potatoes or pasta, the dish is robust and filling so add a light green vegetable such as a green side salad, garlicky green beans, steamed broccoli, or Brussel sprouts.
Marsala wine is produced in Sicily. Marsala comes in both sweet and dry varieties and I usually use sweet wine with desserts and dry wine with savory dishes. For this Chicken Marsala recipe, I use a dry or blended Marsala.
Marsala cooking wine is usually found with the vinegars and Olive Oils. Alternatively, you could check by the marinades. Also, more expensive but higher quality Marsala wine for drinking is in the wine aisle.
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Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb Skinless, Boneless Chicken breasts 2 large chicken breasts
- 4 cups Penne Pasta measured before cooking
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 ½ tablespoon Butter
- 2.5 tablespoon Flour
- 1 cup Marsala Wine Cooking or a dry table wine is fine.
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- ¼ cup Whipping Cream
- ¼ cup Milk
- ½ cup Shredded Parmesan divided
- 4 oz Prosciutto diced
- 8 oz Mushrooms button or baby bella
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- ¼ cup Fresh Parsley chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 baking dish or spray with cooking spray. Cook pasta until al dente, drain, and set aside.
- I find it easiest and fastest to cook the chicken on the grill while I prepare the next steps. However, you can cook it in a large sauté pan or a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oilve oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is slightly browned and no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- In a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and prosciutto. Cook until lightly crisp on the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove the prosciutto to a paper lined plate.
- In the same skillet, add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook until mushrooms darken slightly and the juices are released. Remove the mushrooms to the plate with the prosciutto.
- In same skillet, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute or until bubbly. Stir in the Marsala and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, then whisk in ¼ cup of the parmesan until melted. Remove from heat and add cream and milk. Stir in mushrooms, prosciutto, and chicken.
- To the baking dish, add pasta and spoon sauce over the top. Lightly mix the sauce into the dish. Top with reserved ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and starts to turn golden. Remove and top with chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- OVEN: Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- MICROWAVE: You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave by transferring to a microwave safe plate and microwaving for 60-90 seconds. Continue to microwave at 30 second intervals until heated through.
Nutrition
Pin It For Later:
Kimberly says
This looks incredible! I’m drooling right now. Pinned and tweeted. We are so thrilled to have you at our party. Please stop by on Monday at 7, so we can see your amazing projects. Lou Lou Girls
Rachel says
Thanks so much for sharing and visiting! I hope you get a chance to make it (and tell me how it goes!) Love, Love your blog and your fun party!
Kim @The Baking ChocolaTess says
Boy does that look amazing or what? It’s almost too beautiful to eat, but I’d sure give it a shot. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, visiting from the Lou Lou Girls! Pinning!
Erlene says
Yummy! I love all the ingredients in this dish and will have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing this.
Jen says
Oh my goodness this looks amazing!! I am a sucker for easy pasta dishes, there is nothing better for a busy night 🙂 Pinned and shared! Hopefully things settle down a little for you this week!