Linguine with Marsala Cream Sauce

Pasta wasn’t Bryan’s kind of food. He didn’t like pasta and he never really wanted to eat them. I figured out that it may have something to do with the tomatoes and mild flavors. Since Bryan doesn’t like tomatoes, tomatoes sauce based pasta won’t make Bryan happy for sure. And some of pasta sauces are on the light and mild side, that wouldn’t satisfied Bryan either. But there is the cream based sauce, which is hearty and rich. This Marsala cream sauce was extraordinary. The Marsala wine gave the sauce a sweet note. The mushrooms made it earthy. The cream made it rich. With your favorite pasta, this dish is irresistible. Even Bryan loves this, I urge you to try this tonight.

After you make this, you can use the Marsala wine for Tiramisu! And yes, I would use the leftover bottle just for Tiramisu. 😀

Linguine with Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce (Adapted from Annie’s Eats)

2 – 3 servings

Ingredients:

–   8 ounces linguine or any pasta

–   1 skinless chicken breast (about ½ pound, cut into ½-inch dices)

–   ½ medium yellow onion (cut into small dices)

–   5 ounces baby bella mushrooms

–   3 gloves garlic (minced)

–   2 tablespoons dry white wine

–   ¼ cup sweet Marsala wine

–   ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth

–   ¾ cup half and half (half heavy cream and half milk)

–   1 tablespoon fresh basil (minced)

–   2 teaspoons fresh parsley (minced)

–   ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

–   olive oil

–   salt

–   ground black pepper

Directions:

1. For the mushrooms, wipe clean with paper towel. Slice the mushrooms and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water (salted) to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water. Set aside.
3. In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl and set aside.
4. In the same pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until brown and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from heat and add the wines, scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth. Return the pan to the heat. When the liquid is boiling, reduce to medium heat. Continue to simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup. Stir in the half and half and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the basil, parsley, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and toss with the sauce for 2 minutes. Transfer the pasta to serving plates. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan.

Tips:

1. Sweet Marsala wine is the same wine that I used for Tiramisu.
2. The pasta sauce may look a bit runny when plating, but it would thicken up a bit.

Source: Read