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This chicken Marsala fettuccine is creamy, cozy and totally satisfying. Tender noodles, sautéed mushrooms, and caramelized onions are coated in a rich sauce made with Marsala wine for an elegant yet easy pasta dinner.
I don’t know about you, but I love a hearty pasta dinner on a busy weeknight. There’s something about slurping up tender noodles smothered in a delicious sauce that just hits the spot! I love my chicken bacon ranch pasta and this boursin pasta, but lately I’ve been making this chicken Marsala fettuccine on repeat. It’s such an easy recipe, yet it makes the most elegant, flavorful dinner ever.
If you can’t decide what to make for dinner, let me give you a few reasons why you need to try this creamy, heartwarming pasta favorite as soon as possible!
Why You’ll Love This Pasta Recipe
- Dynamic flavor profile. Savory seared chicken thighs and umami mushrooms are complemented by the subtle sweetness of the caramelized onions. The light tang of the sour cream and the sweet acidity of the Marsala wine chime in to make this saucy pasta an absolute dream for your taste buds.
- So creamy. The sauce on this pasta is out of this world. It coats every noodle, mushroom, and bite of tender chicken in an irresistible blanket of smooth, creamy goodness.
- Elegant and satisfying. The finished dish is elegant and satisfying, yet easy enough to make anytime you’re craving a perfect plate of pasta. Make it for date night or a cozy weeknight dinner.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make this flavorful fettuccine chicken Marsala. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for a printable list of ingredients.
- Olive oil – Used for browning the chicken, but any neutral cooking oil will work here.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – You could use chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into cubes.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- Butter – I like using unsalted butter so I can better control the flavor of the sauce.
- Veggies – I used red onions, fresh garlic, and sliced cremini mushrooms. Yellow or white onion is okay to use.
- Flour – Helps to thicken the sauce.
- Marsala wine – Marsala wine is a fortified cooking wine similar to sherry. It originates in Sicily, Italy and ranges from dry to sweet. I recommend selecting a relatively dry Marsala for this recipe.
- Chicken broth – Low-sodium chicken broth is best. It gives you more control over the flavor of the sauce.
- Heavy cream & Sour cream – Used to make a creamy sauce.
- Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese – Shred your own cheese here, folks. The pre-shredded stuff just doesn’t melt into the sauce as half as well.
- Fresh parsley – For garnish.
- Fettuccine – You could use another pasta shape if you’d like.
How to Make Chicken Marsala Fettuccine
Time for a quick rundown of how to make chicken Marsala fettuccine. I kept it short here but you’ll find more detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. While it’s heating, make the sauce.
- Brown the chicken. Season the chicken and sear both sides in olive oil over medium-high heat. Set it aside to cool, then chop it up.
- Caramelize the onions. Melt butter in the pan, add the onion, and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Saute the onions until caramelized.
- Saute the mushrooms. Add more butter, the garlic and mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are golden brown.
- Make it saucy. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, heavy cream, and chicken. Simmer until thickened.
- Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta per the package’s instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Make it creamy. Stir the sour cream into the sauce.
- Put it all together. Stir the pasta into the sauce followed by the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh parsley.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t crowd the pan. Give the individual chicken thighs plenty of room to breathe in the pan. Otherwise, they won’t sear properly and will steam instead, which can lead to rubbery chicken. If your pan is too small, sear the chicken in batches.
- Keep some chicken broth on hand. When caramelizing the onions, keep a bit of chicken broth (or water) on hand. If the pan starts to dry out, stir in a splash of broth to keep the onions from burning.
- Salt the pasta water. The pasta will absorb the flavor of the water it is boiled in. If you forget to salt your pasta water, you will end up with bland pasta.
- Reserve some pasta water. Before draining the pasta, reserve about a cup of the starchy pasta water. If the sauce has a hard time adhering to the noodles when you toss everything together, add a bit of the starchy water. It will loosen up the sauce and help it bind to the fettuccine.
Variation Ideas
- Make it vegetarian: Not a meat eater? No problem. Omit the chicken and just add a little extra butter to the pan before sauteing the veggies.
- Try a different pasta: The wider fettuccine noodles do a great job at carrying the sauce for this dish but you could easily swap them out for spaghetti, bucatini, or another pasta shape of your choosing.
- Swap out your carb: I love the chicken Marsala sauce over pasta but it would be just as delicious ladled over creamy mashed potatoes, polenta or even rice.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this chicken pasta dinner with a warm hunk of Dutch oven bread topped with a bit of butter, plus some roasted veggies. I recommend roasted asparagus or honey roasted carrots plus a classic, crisp salad to balance the rich flavors of the fettuccine.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
- Store in the fridge: Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature before sealing it in an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals, stirring between heating times, until warmed through.
More Pasta Dinner Ideas
Chicken Marsala Fettuccine
This chicken Marsala fettuccine is the perfect comfort food. Slurp-able tender noodles, sautéed mushrooms, and caramelized onions are coated in a rich, creamy, flavorful Marsala sauce. So delicious!
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 pound fettuccine
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup Marsala wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup sour cream, more if desired
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Boil water for the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta. Cook the fettuccine per the package’s instructions. When the pasta is done cooking, reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Brown the chicken. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper and add it to the pan. Sear the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside to cool.
- Caramelize the onions. Turn the heat to medium, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan, add the onions, and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Saute the onions until they are caramelized. This should take about 20 minutes. Add a bit of chicken stock if the pan starts to dry out.
- Saute the mushrooms. Then, add the rest of the butter to the pan, followed by the garlic and the mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are golden brown.
- Chop the chicken. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Make it saucy. Stir the flour into the sauteed veggies and cook for 30 seconds or so. Add the wine and let it cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth and the heavy cream. Add the chicken, turn the heat to low, and let everything simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Make it creamy. Stir the sour cream into the sauce until smooth.
- Put it all together. Stir the pasta into the sauce, being sure to coat every strand of pasta thoroughly. Stir in the Parmesan (if using). If at any point the sauce seems too thick and/or is having a hard time adhering to the pasta, stir in a bit of pasta water to help it along. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Serve the chicken Marsala fettuccine warm, garnished with fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Calories: 732kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 2170mg | Potassium: 504mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 581IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Did you make a recipe? Leave a rating
This is so good! I love the flavor of the wine with the mushrooms and chicken in the sauce that’s just creamy enough. I really enjoyed it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The wine, mushrooms, and chicken really do make the perfect combo. Thanks for trying the recipe! 🙂
The combination of tender noodles, sautéed mushrooms, and caramelized onions in a creamy Marsala wine sauce is pure comfort food perfection.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much! 🙂
Great dinner recipe – easy to make and total comfort food. Everyone one really enjoyed your recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for trying it out! 🙂
Chicken marsala is one of my all-time favorites! I had not thought to make it in pasta form, but this turned out super delicious. Served with crusty bread and salad and everyone went for seconds!
That sounds amazing! Chicken Marsala is such a great dish, and turning it into pasta is a brilliant idea. Glad to hear it was a hit! Thank YOU! 🙂
Everyone loved this dish! Easy to make and packed with flavor!