Last updated on February 19th, 2026

One of my favorite flavors ever is Marsala wine! I like making a creamy sauce with it, packed with garlic, mushrooms, and flavor! I worked at Olive Garden for a few years after high school, and I couldn’t get ENOUGH of their Stuffed Chicken Marsala! Like, it was a weekly order for me! It is still my favorite item on their menu! They actually took it off the menu post COVID, guests protested, and they brought it BACK! So, thanks OG for caring about your people and their fav dishes – not a lot of corporations would do this sort of thing! This Chicken Marsala Bake takes my favorite flavors and nostalgia, combined with juicy chicken, pasta, and a gooey-yet-crispy cheesy crust! This was simple to make on a busy weekday, and my family loved every bite! My husband isn’t even that big on mushrooms or marsala and he said this dish changed his mind!

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So, what is Marsala wine and when did people start cooking with it?

Marsala wine was made in Sicily in the late 1700’s and was originally called “Perpetuum.” In 1773, John Woodhouse, an English merchant who had been out to sea, found himself in Marsala, which is a large city in Sicily. There he discovered this local wine! He thought it resembled Portuguese Madeira and Spanish sherry, which were very popular in England. John loved it so much, he wanted to bring some back home with him! He decided to fortify it with brandy to stabilize it for long voyages on the sea!

The wine became very popular in Britian, originally for drinking, but by the 19th century, Italian and Italian-American cooks started to feature this succulent wine in savory dishes! Because Marsala wine has some sweetness to it, it’s the perfect ingredient for a rich, savory dish because it provides depth and balance! Chicken Marsala and Veal Marsala became iconic in the U.S., where the wine was used to deglaze pans and make elegant sauces! This wine has even been used in dessert recipes like tiramisu!

Did you know?

John Woodhouse actually stumbled upon this delicacy when he took shelter in Marsala’s port during a storm! He ended up there, tasting this wine…by accident. If this hadn’t happened, who knows – maybe Marsala wine never would’ve become the global phenomenon that it has!

What ingredients do I need to make this?

For the chicken marsala bake:

Chicken Breast
Penne
Onion
Garlic
Rosemary
Canned Mushrooms
Marsala Wine
Heavy Cream
Butter
Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper

For the topping:

Butter
Panko Breadcrumbs

For serving:

Parmesan
Parsley

What equipment do I need?

How do I make it?

To prep the ingredients:

The first thing you’ll want to do is preheat the oven to 400F and start prepping the ingredients! Dice the onion. Mince the garlic and rosemary. Trim the fat off of the chicken breasts and cut into tenders. Shred the parmesan cheese right away and get your other ingredients out and ready to go! Get out a stockpot, fill it with some salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook pasta al dente, then drain and set aside until ready to use.

Onion, garlic, and rosemary on a wooden cutting board

To make the chicken:

In a cast iron skillet, heat oil on medium and sear the chicken for a few minutes. Season with some of the salt and pepper, flip, and cook a few minutes more. Then move to a plate covered with foil to keep warm until ready to use.

To make the sauce and prep for baking:

In the same skillet, melt butter on medium and sauté the onion for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the canned mushrooms, then add them to the pan along with the garlic and rosemary.

Cook for a minute or so, then slowly pour in the Marsala wine, scraping those flavor bits from the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Marsala wine, onion, mushrooms, garlic, and herbs cooking in a cast iron

Add the rest of the salt, pepper, and the cream. Simmer a few minutes more to thicken the sauce.

Transfer the cooked pasta and the chicken with its juices back to the cast iron, stirring to combine. Sprinkle the parmesan over everything and remove from heat. Set aside until ready to bake.

To make the breadcrumb topping and bake:

In a small microwave safe dish, melt butter. Whisk in breadcrumbs and sprinkle all over the chicken mixture.

Chicken Marsala Bake before going into the oven

Bake it, then broil on high for a few minutes until golden and bubbly!

To serve:

Serve Chicken Marsala Bake immediately, garnishing with more freshly grated parmesan and parsley, if desired. Enjoy!

Chicken Marsala Bake on a white plate with a pan filled with more behind

Tips:

I only had canned mushrooms on hand, but fresh mushrooms are welcomed and encouraged if you have them!
If you don’t have heavy cream, you could always use milk instead! Just whisk in 1 tbsp of flour or cornstarch to thicken it. You could also use half and half! If it’s not getting as thick as you’d like it to during the simmering process, just simmer a few minutes longer.
Boiling the pasta to al dente instead of completely cooking helps to protect it from overcooking during the baking process!
Use whatever type of pasta you want in this recipe! I would recommend sticking with a short pasta, though!

Love creamy chicken pastas? Check these out!

Chicken Marsala Bake

The Wholesome Spoon

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian-American

Servings

Calories 725 kcal

Equipment