Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Linguine with Marsala

Rich and aromatic, Mushroom Marsla Cream Sauce is a culinary chameleon. Served over sliced beef tenderloin for Steak Diane or tossed with chicken and pasta for a luscious Mushroom & Chicken Linguine, this silky sauce is among my favourite recipes. Any combination of wild and exotic mushrooms can be used: shiitake, chanterelles, morels, enoki, crimini or even button mushrooms. Sautéed with a tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a large skillet, seasoned with salt and pepper, and finished with a dash of cream, marsala wine and fresh thyme — the sauce is complete. Tossed with sliced chicken, or even served on it's own over pasta, this recipe is an absolute keeper!

Cremini mushrooms and fresh thyme picked from our garden

Red onion and minced garlic sautéed in olive oil and butter

The mushrooms are added and cooked until soft, about 5 minutes

Cream, Marsala and fresh thyme are added and simmered for a few minutes

Shredded chicken added to the sauce and simmered until warmed through, about 10 minutes

The sauce is slightly reduced and the flavours married

Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Linguine with Marsala
Serves 2

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or leftover cooked chicken)
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Marsala, or to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 linguine piccolo
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp butter, divided
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and fresh ground white pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley 
2 tbsp chopped thyme


Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet, and cook the chicken, turning once until browned on both sides and fully cooked. Transfer to a plate and allow the chicken to cool. Once the chicken has cooled tear into bite-size strips.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and one table spoon of olive oil of butter in a frying pan, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Marsala wine, heavy cream and thyme are then added and cooked over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. The cooked chicken is then added to the sauce, and simmered until the sauce has thickened and the chicken warmed through.

When the noodles are ready, drain and toss back into the pot with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the mushroom, chicken, and marsala sauce mixture and 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and toss until well combined. Serve the linguine in 2 warm pasta bowls and garnish with chopped Italian parsley, with a little extra cheese on the side for extra garnish.