"Man shall not live by bread alone."

I say serve it with Chicken and Pasta!

Finding the time cook great meals is harder now that I am working full time. But I do try and do it a few times a week. There are a lot of meals that can be made in not a lot of time and still look elegant and taste delicious. Chicken is always a staple in our home. There are so many ways to prepare it. We love Italian food and so I try and make it at least once a week whether it is a simple pasta dish or something more elaborate with meat or fish and garlic and cheese. This Chicken Marsala with pasta dish is flavorful and easy to make. Hope you enjoy it!

Make the Garlic Bread first so you can heat it in the oven while you are preparing the Chicken Marsala and Pasta

Ingredients for Bread:
Loaf of fresh Italian or French bread
2-4 TBS melted butter
3 cloves fresh garlic
2 whole scallions (green onions), finely chopped

Bread Preparation and Cooking:
Melt 2-4 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat (depending on how much bread you are making)
Add 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Add 2 scallions (green onions) chopped
Heat for about 5 minutes
Slice half loaf Italian Bread in half like a sandwich and pour butter mixture onto each side of the bread and spread with a pastry brush
Close the bread and slice down into about 6 pieces
Wrap in aluminum foil and bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes and begin making Chicken Marsala

Ingredients for Chicken Marsala and Pasta:
2 fresh boneless chicken breasts
2 whole lemons
¼ cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
A few dashes of black pepper
A few dashes of tarragon
1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 2 TBS dried parsley)
2 TBS olive oil
4 TBS butter
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped, finely chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/8-1/4 cup capers (to your fancy)
1/4=1/2 cup Marsala Wine (I have used Sherry for a different flavor twist on this)
1/8-1/4 cup Chicken Stock (depending on how much liquid you have)

Capellini (Angel Hair Pasta) – make according to package directions

Chicken and Pasta Preparation and Cooking:
2 fresh boneless chicken breasts, pounded between wax paper until thin (If the breasts are big this could feed more than two!)
Squeeze the juice of one lemon over breasts
Dust the chicken breasts in ¼ cup flour seasoned with salt, pepper, tarragon and paprika

In heavy skillet on medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of good olive oil and brown chicken on both sides – about 2-4 minutes each side until lightly browned (Remove and set aside
Once chicken is nicely browned, add about ¼ cup of Marsala wine (or you can add Sherry if you don’t have Marsala wine – that can be good, too!)
Turn heat down to medium-low and add about 2-4 tablespoons of butter to the pan and stir in

Then, add:
2- 3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1/8 cup of capers

Sauté the garlic, mushrooms and capers for a few minutes until soft
Then add fresh squeezed lemon juice (1/2 large or 1 small lemon) and about 1/8 cup of chicken stock and reduce heat to simmer
Add parsley to the pan
Add chicken back to the pan and let simmer in the liquid on low heat for about 5-10 minutes

In the meantime, boil some water and make enough Capellini (angel hair pasta) for two or four and when pasta is done, drain and serve chicken and mushroom/caper/Marsala sauce over pasta.
Top with freshly-grated parmesan cheese

Serve with the hot garlic/scallion bread

Adjust ingredients to the number of people you are serving.