Name: Marsala Chicken Orzo
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (yes, thighs – they’re way more forgiving than breasts and won’t dry out on you); Salt and fresh black pepper (don’t be shy with either); 2 tablespoons flour (just for a light dusting); 2 tablespoons olive oil (the everyday stuff, save your fancy oil); 2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted, whatever’s in your fridge); 1 medium onion, diced (yellow or white, doesn’t matter much); 3 cloves garlic, minced (or more, I won’t judge); 12 oz mushrooms, sliced (cremini/baby bella give the best flavor, but white mushrooms work too); 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried if that’s what you’ve got); ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat kick); ¾ cup marsala wine (please use the real stuff, not that cooking wine nonsense); 2 cups chicken broth (low sodium so you can control the salt); 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (trust me on this one); 1 cup orzo pasta (uncooked); ½ cup heavy cream (half-and-half works in a pinch); ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (from a block you grate yourself, not the powdery stuff); 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for looking fancy at the end); Squeeze of lemon juice (brightens everything up)

Description

So I was craving chicken marsala one night but also wanted pasta, and I thought, “Why choose?” This Marsala Chicken Orzo is basically what would happen if traditional chicken marsala had a beautiful baby with a creamy pasta dish. It’s got all those rich, mushroomy, wine-infused flavors from classic marsala, but instead of serving the chicken alongside something, everything gets tossed together with orzo pasta that soaks up all that ridiculous sauce. It’s comfort food with a fancy accent – the kind of dish that makes people think you actually know what you’re doing in the kitchen.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken:

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (yes, thighs – they’re way more forgiving than breasts and won’t dry out on you)
Salt and fresh black pepper (don’t be shy with either)
2 tablespoons flour (just for a light dusting)
2 tablespoons olive oil (the everyday stuff, save your fancy oil)
2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted, whatever’s in your fridge)

For the Sauce Base:

1 medium onion, diced (yellow or white, doesn’t matter much)
3 cloves garlic, minced (or more, I won’t judge)
12 oz mushrooms, sliced (cremini/baby bella give the best flavor, but white mushrooms work too)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried if that’s what you’ve got)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat kick)
¾ cup marsala wine (please use the real stuff, not that cooking wine nonsense)
2 cups chicken broth (low sodium so you can control the salt)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (trust me on this one)

For the Orzo Finish:

1 cup orzo pasta (uncooked)
½ cup heavy cream (half-and-half works in a pinch)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (from a block you grate yourself, not the powdery stuff)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for looking fancy at the end)
Squeeze of lemon juice (brightens everything up)