Tonight I made a dish found at nearly every Italian restaurant I can ever recall visiting. It is a simple, yet delicious scallopini style dish featuring Marsala wine as the primary ingredient in the sauce. If you do any research on this dish, you will find the variations for this recipe are widespread.  Typical variations start with whether to use dry or sweet Marsala. Next there is the whole ‘should I include cream or not’ debate. And let’s not even begin the discussion on whether the chicken should be dredged in flour or not. So, after a lot of reading and contemplating on how I have made this dish in the past, I created this recipe as a compilation of what I learned through research and experience. It is combination of the flavors and results I prefer. First, I opted to use sweet Marsala as I wanted that signature sweetness (and I wanted to be able to maximize my use of the Marsala as a delicious reduction on ice cream, frozen yogurt, etc). Instead of cream, I used sour cream to add a tangy aspect to the sauce while adding that oh-so delicious silkiness. Of course I floured the chicken as it is easier to not overcook the thin chicken breast slices (since the flour coating will brown before the chicken) and the cooked flour coating adds a slight thickener to the sauce. The results are tender chicken breast slices coated in a robust and silky sauce with sweet, tangy, and umami notes. Did I mention how quick this dish is to prepare?  Well, it is… which is a perfect reason to add it to your menu planning. Hey, who can resist making an easy to prepare and flavorful classic? I can’t… and neither should you!

Cook the pasta per the package instructions. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken fillets and dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess.

In a large skillet over slightly more than Medium heat, melt the butter into the olive oil.

When the butter stops foaming, add the chicken to the skillet being careful to not overlap or crowd the pan.

Cook approximately 3 -4 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Remove the chicken to a clean plate and cover with foil to remain warm OR place on a baking sheet into a warm (200 degree) oven.

In the remaining butter and oil mixture, add the mushrooms and prosciutto.

Cook the mushrooms until they begin to brown on the edges and the prosciutto is starting to crisp on the edges, approximately 5 minutes.

Add the shallot and garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant and the shallots start to become translucent, approximately 90 seconds. Remove the mushrooms and prosciutto to a clean bowl using a slotted spoon to retain the remaining oil/butter mixture. Add 1/2 cup of Marsala and 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth/stock to the skillet. Increase the heat to Medium-High/High and gently scrape any fond from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the mixture by 1/2 and reduce the heat to Medium, approximately 3 – 4 minutes. Whisk in the sour cream and when smooth, add the mushroom mixture (and any accumulated juices!) back into the skillet.

Nestle the chicken into the mushrooms and sauce and cook for a minute or two to reheat. Place the chicken on top of pasta, pour the sauce over the chicken and pasta, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

 

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