Winter is the season for hot and hearty meals and menu-wise, it’s always been my favorite time of the year.  The weather may be cold and grey, but the kitchen is hot and hoppin’.  Soups, stews, and pasta dishes make a regular appearance at our evening dinner table.  Warm, crusty breads with farm fresh butter are never far behind.  Nothing compares to that soul pleasing feeling of being warmed from the inside out by a meal filled with comfort food goodness.

Chicken Marsala is one such cold weather favorite.  Wine and poultry are soul mates; I’m convinced of it.  Add in a handful of mushrooms and you can add it to my list of favorite holy trinities in the culinary world.  I usually make the more traditional version of breasts over noodles, but I thought this go round I might stir things up a bit by twisting it into it’s own unique pasta creation.  The result is nothing short of delectable.

Begin your comfort creation by mixing together a little flour, salt and pepper into a baggie or bowl.  Toss in a couple cubed chicken breasts and get them get good and coated.

Warm up a pat of butter and a swirl of oil into a sauce pan on high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until they start to take on a gorgeous golden brown color.

In the same pan, brown up a handful of mushrooms and onions.  Toss in a tablespoon of the leftover flour mixture and coat the veggies well.

Time for a little wine.  Add in a hearty pour of marsala and chicken broth.  Heat until the mixture begins to thicken.  Nom Nom.  Now add in a squeeze of fresh lemon, a dollop of dijon and a pinch of rosemary.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and finish it off with a splash of heavy cream and a spoonful of Parmesan cheese.

Toss back in the reserved chicken and you’re ready to plate.

Grab yourself a bowl, dangle a healthy portion of noodles into the bottom and top with the finished chicken and mushroom sauce.

With culinary comfort like this warming my soul, winter is welcome for dinner at our house any night of the week.

This dish will be a part of the Gojee virtual potluck.   Starting on Thursday, January 26, you can find this dish along with other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Simply jump on over to gojee.com and enter “gojee potluck” into I Crave.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.  Hope you’ll stop by!

Chicken Marsala Pasta

Yield: 4 Servings (approx. 1.5 Cups each)

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1/2 Pound Chicken, Cubed
1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
8 Oz. Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 Onion, Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup Marsala Wine
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Lemon, Juiced (about 1.5 tsp)
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Rosemary
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

In a medium sized baggie or bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper.

Add in the chicken and shake to coat.

In a large saucepan set to medium high, heat up 1 tablespoon of the butter and the canola oil.

Add the chicken to the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture, and cook until golden brown on the outside with no pink remaining.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set to the side. In the same pan heat up the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter on medium heat.

Add in the mushrooms, onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent and cooked.

Sprinkle the reserved flour back in the pan and stir to coat.

Add in the wine and broth and heat until sauce begins to thicken.

Stir in the lemon juice, dijon mustard and rosemary.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and add in the cream and Parmesan cheese.

Toss the reserved chicken back in and stir to coat.

Serve over freshly cooked pasta.