chicken marsala marscapone

Chicken marsala is one of my all time favorite dishes and so easy to prepare. Giada adds a new twist with the addition of marscapone cheese. I have made many of her recipes and they have all been great. This one is absolutely fantastic - the richness of the marscapone makes the sauce like a very light alfredo without the heavy cream. You can get a basic cooking marsala wine by 'holland house' at the grocery store very inexpensively. I always keep it on hand. Many people have asked what they can substitute for the marscapone cheese - I would either try cream cheese because it has the same smooth, rich consistancy, or just make chicken marsala and grate fresh parmasean cheese over it at the end. If you're going to just make chicken marsala, dredge the chicken in flour before you saute them so that when you add it back to the sauce it will thicken. Fresh fettucine pasta is my favorite and also readily available at the grocery store. You can always add asparagus for a new twist.


origin - everyday italien with giada delaurentis

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion I like to quarter slice instead
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced You can use any mushrooms, white or baby portobella work great.
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.