Chicken Marsala Pasta is one of my favorite dishes. I decided to serve it for my boyfriend’s birthday. He loves mushrooms and I realized that I had never made this one for him, so I put it on the menu. Typical Chicken Marsala Pasta is made with lots of butter and heavy cream. Of course, I couldn’t make it that way. Heavy cream and lots of butter just wouldn’t be Becky’s Best Bites approved.
But since it was a special occasion and before he met me, he never eat “lighter” meals, I decided that I would spoil him just a bit. He is so sweet about my cooking, even if he teases me about it relentlessly. So this recipe for Chicken Marsala Pasta is a little more indulgent that my typical Becky’s Best Bites recipes. I did use a little bit of butter and half and half, but I couldn’t let myself go crazy 😉
Mushrooms also serve up a ton of health benefits. Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, very low in sodium, yet they provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, vitamin B and many more. They have high antioxidant levels and boost your immunity. In studies, mushrooms have been shown to slow down or inhibit the growth of cancer tumors. Mushrooms are very filling, as well, so they increase satiety and aid in weight management.
- 12 oz. whole wheat or gluten free rotini
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, halves
- 4 shallots, chopped fine
- 1⁄2 lb mushrooms, sliced
- 1⁄2 cup marsala wine
- 2 tbsp. half and half
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Prepare pasta according to package instuctions
- Place chicken breast between two pieces of parchment paper and pound chicken breasts to even out thickness with a mallet or the back of a small skillet. Lightly salt and pepper.
- In large skillet, saute chicken in 1 tbsp. melted butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Melt remaining butter and add remaining olive oil in pan and add shallots and mushrooms.
- Cook until mushrooms are lightly browned and have released their juices, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Add Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan.
- Add half and half, chicken broth and lemon juice and return to a boil.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Return chicken to pan for about 3 minutes to reheat and finish cooking.