Chicken Marsala Fettuccine
You’re going to our homemade version of Olive Garden’s chicken marsala fettuccine. It’s creamy, comforting, and full of flavor from the marsala wine and umami-packed mushrooms – with a little heavy cream to add a richness. This recipe is the perfect balance of elegance and ease – fancy enough to impress guests, but simple enough for a weeknight dinner.

Why you’ll love chicken marsala fettuccine
Even though we don’t eat there that much, we know Olive Garden has its super fans. And, we get it. There’s something awesome about the consistency of a chain restaurant. You always know what you’re getting, and you can’t go wrong with those salad and breadsticks.
Word on the street is that their infamous chicken marsala fettuccine is no longer on the menu. It’s been replaced by a stuffed chicken marsala, which might be great, but it’s just not the same.
But, fear not friends, The Pasta Twins are here to save the day with a copycat recipe that might be even better than the original.
More copycat recipes: spicy chipotle chicken pasta / pasta fresca

Ingredients:
- Marsala wine – This is clearly necessary for chicken marsala, so don’t even try to sub it out. We recommend a dry marsala rather than a sweet one that would be used for desserts. If you’re really, really in a pinch, a good sherry or Madeira wine would work.
- Mushrooms – We used button mushrooms because they come pre-sliced at our grocery store, but you can swap your favorite mushroom instead. Our next choice would be cremini mushrooms.
- Heavy cream – This gives the sauce its rich texture and flavor. If you want to swap half-and-half, you definitely can. The sauce might need a bit more cooking down to get it to the same consistency.
- Chicken stock – You could potentially use beef stock, but it will definitely change the flavor. If you want to use reduced-sodium, you may need to play around with the recipe’s salt levels.
- Fettuccine – Feel free to use whatever pasta you have on hand. We like the fettuccine with the creamy sauce, but any pasta shape should work.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Tips for making this recipe:
Want to make this dairy free? It’s easy. Swap the cream for full-fat coconut milk and use vegan butter (Melissa recommends Earth Balance buttery sticks.
Meal prep tip: Make the chicken, mushrooms and sauce ahead of time. Reheat on the stove while you cook the pasta while you cook the pasta. Use a little pasta water to rehydrate the sauce if needed.

The Pasta Twins always say save a little pasta water before draining your pasta. It helps your sauce bind to the pasta and it can help thicken or thin the sauce to your liking – thanks to the magic starches!

Frequently asked questions
More chicken pasta recipes you’ll love: chicken piccata meatballs / slow cooker buffalo chicken pasta / garlic chicken parmesan / marry me chicken pasta

Chicken Marsala Fettuccine
Ingredients
- 1 16- ounce package fettuccine pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless (skinless chicken breasts)
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot (diced)
- 8 ounces button mushrooms (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
- 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions to al denté. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Cook the chicken. If needed, pound the chicken to an even 1-inch thickness. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then dip each piece to coat with flour. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until each side is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the mushrooms. Add butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Then sauté the shallots and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook for about 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.
- Make the sauce. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the mushrooms and stir to coat. Then, whisk in the marsala wine, chicken stock and heavy cream. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Garnish and serve. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. If needed, stir in a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water at a time to reach desired consistency. Then, slice the chicken and return it to the pot. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Nutrition

