The Best Chicken Marsala

I will never forget going to the Vineyard. The Vineyard is a little hole-in-the-wall, classic family-owned Italian restaurant in Bethlehem PA — and their food is to die for. My dad’s side of the family were regulars — from Sunday family dinners to birthdays, we always celebrated at the Vineyard. Usually, they would hold the entire basement for us and we’d always close the place down — it kind of felt like we were the mafia, but I digress.

Their best plate? Honestly, it’s a toss-up between Chicken Marsala and Chicken Saltimbocca. So, what did I do? Created a recipe that incorporates my favorite ingredients from each. I love this recipe so much that I made it for myself on my birthday —  talk about *childhood memories*.

So what does this Chicken Marsala pair well with? Well, to start with, wine — duh. But, I really like to put the chicken (and sauce) on top of pasta. You can use any type of pasta you’d like. Usually, I’ll go with whatever we have in the pantry (sometimes angel hair or penne). And don’t forget the garlic bread! Okay let’s get down to business!

Servings: 2

Active Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken

• ½ pounds to 2 pounds of chicken — a rule of thumb one breast per person

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ¼ cup of flour

• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

• 2 tbsp of butter

• 1 shallot, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 8 oz of sliced baby portabella mushrooms

• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 bunch of basil, chopped

• 1 tsp of salt

• 1 tbsp of pepper

• 1 tbsp of thyme

• 1 tbsp of oregano

• 3 cups of chicken stock

• 1 cup of red wine (I use Zinfandel)

• 1 cup of half and half

• 2 oz of sliced prosciutto, sliced

• 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

• chopped parsley for serving

Preparation

For this recipe, you’re going to cook the chicken, set it aside, and then make the sauce (using the chicken juices) in the same vessel you used for the chicken.

Chicken

Pound chicken for desired tenderness. Combine flour, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Take pounded breasts and dredge them in the flour mixture.

Grab a deep skillet or a dutch oven. Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place breasts in skillet and cook for 6 minutes (do not disturb them). Flip and cook for another 6 minutes. The internal temp should reach about 160F (please note they will cook a little more in the sauce). Take out breasts and place aside. Keep juices in the skillet!

Sauce

Using the same skillet as the chicken, add shallot over medium heat stirring for 3 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms stirring for about 2 minutes. Next add the tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, stir for 2 minutes. Add wine, half and half, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and let it softly simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken to the skillet and softly simmer for another 10 minutes. Add prosciutto and ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Turn off heat.

Serve

Grab a plate or bowl. First, layer it with your choice of pasta, then top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese and parsley on top.

There you have it! A cross between Chicken Marsala and Saltimbocca which brings me back to the Vineyard every time. If you’ve tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below!

Cheers,

JJ