Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta with Mushrooms

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Yes, my easy Chicken Marsala Pasta is chock full of tender, juicy chicken, melty cheeses, hearty pasta, and earthy mushrooms. But it’s the creamy Marsala wine sauce that elevates this tasty casserole from ordinary to extraordinary.

Like my classic Chicken Marsala with Prosciutto recipe, this dish is not only packed with flavor, but it’s also family-friendly and quick enough for a weeknight dinner! It’s also the perfect make-ahead dinner party recipe. Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta is the very definition of comfort food!

This Marsala pasta dish can be made ahead of time so that you have time to spend with your family or guests, and it also freezes beautifully.

If you are like me and always like to have an emergency casserole in the freezer for unexpected guests or to take to a sick friend, you will love this recipe. I almost always double the recipe and serve some and freeze the rest to serve another time. And, did I mention it is absolutely delicious! This is one of our family’s favorite recipes, and I know you will love it too.

Special thanks to my longtime friend, Carolyn Haley, who hosts A Southerner’s Notebook blog, for sharing this recipe with me several years ago.

Here’s what’s in it:

Chopped cooked chicken, ziti, cheese, chicken stock and butter on a counter.

Chicken – you can use white or dark meat in this recipe. A rotisserie chicken works great too.
Ziti – is a smooth tube-shaped pasta that works perfectly in this recipe. You can substitute penne or another sturdy pasta if you prefer.
Marsala – is a fortified wine from Sicily that is commonly used in cooking and baking and sometimes as a dessert wine. It has a distinctively sweet, rich taste and is what makes the Marsala wine sauce so flavorful.
Butter – is combined with flour to make the base of the Marsala wine sauce and adds a rich, buttery flavor and velvety texture.
Flour – is mixed with butter and is used to thicken the Marsala wine sauce.
Chicken stock – adds flavor and brings together all of the other elements of the sauce. You can use purchased or homemade chicken stock.
Mozzarella and parmesan cheeses – in my world, you can’t have a casserole without cheese, and this one is no exception. Small cubes of melted mozzarella in this casserole take it to another level, and the parmesan cheese adds its own salty, nutty taste.
Salt and pepper – enhance all of the other flavors and bring them together in one cohesive dish.
Parsley – adds a fresh taste and a beautiful pop of color to an otherwise brown casserole.

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the pasta to the al dente stage, following the package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil, and when it’s hot, add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for six to seven minutes or until they are tender and lightly browned.

Add the salt and pepper and continue cooking until any liquid evaporates. Next, add the Marsala, and continue cooking until all of the liquid has evaporated. This usually takes around two to three minutes.
Add in the butter and stir until melted. Add the flour and stir, and cook for one to two minutes, just until it starts to turn light brown. Slowly add the chicken stock, constantly stirring while scraping the bottom of the pan as you add the stock. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir until the sauce thickens, which will take another minute or two.

Marsala wine sauce cooking in a skillet.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix thoroughly. Then stir in three-quarters of a cup of the Parmesan cheese, the cubed mozzarella, fresh parsley, and cooked chicken. Mix well to combine all ingredients.

Chopped chicken, parsley, and cubed mozzarella cheese on a cutting board.

Spray a 7×11 inch, oven-safe casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and add the mixture. Top with the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F. or until the topping is lightly browned and the parmesan cheese has melted.

A white casserole dish full of Chicken Marsala Pasta.

Serve immediately.

Frequently asked questions:

What is Marsala?

Marsala is a sweet fortified wine that comes from Marsala, Sicily. It has a distinctive taste similar to Maderia or sherry. It is most often used in cooking and baking or as a dessert wine.

What can you substitute for Marsala?

Maderia is the closest in taste, but if substituted, your dish will taste different. Because Marsala is the star of this dish, you can’t really substitute any other wine or chicken stock.

In general, I do not ever recommend using cooking wine, and this dish is no exception. Again, you will end up with an entirely different flavor profile.

What’s the best pasta to use?

I always use either ziti or penne when making this dish, although any sturdy pasta will work. Rigate, elbow macaroni, fusilli, and rotini also work. You want a strong pasta to hold up to and trap as much sauce as possible.

What to serve this dish with?

This hearty casserole is best served with a simple vegetable side dish such as Sweet and Sour Green Beans, Southern Fried Cabbage, Southern Collard Greens, or my Baked Tomato Casserole.

If you prefer to pair it with a salad, Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodles, Brussels Sprout Salad, Apple Pecan Salad, or my Fall Harvest Salad, would all be delightful.

What’s the best way to cook the chicken?

As a time-saver, I frequently purchase and use rotisserie chickens in this recipe.

However, if you have raw chicken breasts, my Roasted Bone-In Chicken Breasts recipe works well, and the chicken always turns out tender and juicy. For a whole chicken, check out my recipe for Cast-Iron Roast Chicken; it’s a winner too!

Sharon’s tips:

This is a wonderful make-ahead dish. You can either make it up to the point of baking it and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, or make it and freeze it. If you freeze it, be sure to take it out of the freezer the night before you plan to bake it to allow it to thaw before baking.
This recipe as written serves six. If you would like to double or increase the number of servings, simply move the serving slider bar in the recipe card to how many servings you will need.
Just as most pasta recipes, leftover Chicken Marsala Pasta is just as good the next day. Sprinkle a few drops of water on it and reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
Leftovers should be stored covered in the fridge for up to four days.

More comfort food recipes:

If you like comfort food as I do, you might also like these easy casserole recipes. All are delicious, quick and easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and freeze beautifully:

★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon!

*This recipe was originally posted on October 11, 2017. It was republished on October 22, 2021, with resized photos, more information on the ingredients, a list of Frequently Asked Questions, and slight changes to the recipe.