Name: Marsala Chicken Orzo
Ingredients: 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (I prefer thighs – juicier and harder to mess up); Salt and black pepper (don’t be shy with these); ½ cup all-purpose flour (for dredging); 2 tablespoons olive oil (the good stuff if you’ve got it); 2 tablespoons butter (real butter, not that fake stuff); 1 large shallot, finely diced (or half an onion if that’s all you’ve got); 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 5 if you’re like me); 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (cremini/baby bellas work best, but button mushrooms work too); ¾ cup dry Marsala wine (don’t use the sweet stuff meant for desserts); 1½ cups chicken broth (low sodium, so you control the salt); 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried); 1 bay leaf (optional, but adds a nice depth); ¼ cup heavy cream (makes everything better); 1½ cups uncooked orzo pasta (that’s the little rice-shaped pasta for the uninitiated); ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (freshly grated is best); 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for looking fancy at the end); Optional but amazing: zest of half a lemon

Description

So I was craving both chicken marsala AND a good pasta dish one night when I was too lazy to decide between them. Then it hit me – why not combine them? This dish takes all those amazing marsala flavors – the wine, the mushrooms, that silky sauce – and pairs them with tender chicken and creamy orzo pasta. It’s basically comfort food that thinks it’s fancy. And the best part? One pan, minimal effort, maximum satisfaction. Thank me later.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken:

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (I prefer thighs – juicier and harder to mess up)
Salt and black pepper (don’t be shy with these)
½ cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
2 tablespoons olive oil (the good stuff if you’ve got it)
2 tablespoons butter (real butter, not that fake stuff)

For the Marsala Magic:

1 large shallot, finely diced (or half an onion if that’s all you’ve got)
3 cloves garlic, minced (or 5 if you’re like me)
8 oz mushrooms, sliced (cremini/baby bellas work best, but button mushrooms work too)
¾ cup dry Marsala wine (don’t use the sweet stuff meant for desserts)
1½ cups chicken broth (low sodium, so you control the salt)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 bay leaf (optional, but adds a nice depth)
¼ cup heavy cream (makes everything better)

For the Orzo:

1½ cups uncooked orzo pasta (that’s the little rice-shaped pasta for the uninitiated)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (freshly grated is best)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for looking fancy at the end)
Optional but amazing: zest of half a lemon