Rustic Chicken Marsala Bake is a baked twist on the classic meal, made with portobello mushrooms, penne pasta, and marsala wine cream sauce.

This chicken marsala recipe takes the classic dish and turns it into a cozy casserole. It has all of the delicious flavors but made easy – I know your family will love this chicken marsala casserole.

close up shot of chicken marsala casserole.

One of my husband’s favorite pasta dishes is Chicken Marsala. He loves the sauce, the mushrooms, oh, and did I mention the mushrooms. For some time I have been wanting to make this into a pasta bake because it is simple to do, is easy on time, and beautiful to serve.

When my husband, Jake came home and took one bite, then a second bite, a third, and so on, until I took the baking dish, covered it in foil, and mentioned that dinner would be soon. He loved it and said that this was now his favorite. Jake also named the dish, “rustic” because of the chunks of pancetta, mushrooms, and the earthiness of the sauce. I liked this element too.

Easy Chicken Marsala Casserole

  • What is great about this pasta bake is that you can really use any mushrooms or noodles that you have on hand. We loved it with the portobello because of the larger pieces of mushrooms. My favorite noodle is fettuccine but the penne worked well with the overall “rustic” theme.
  • To make it even easier, use shredded rotisserie chicken and skip the step for cooking the chicken. This is a shortcut I use often when it’s busy and it’s just as delicious.
  • Sometimes I assemble the bake in the morning, pop it in the refrigerator, and then bake it that night. It works well!
  • I think it’s best hot out of the oven while the sauce is creamy, but it does make good leftovers to reheat for lunch the next day.
  • We love this hearty casserole with a tossed green salad on the side!

This is a seriously amazing comfort food dinner – pasta, marsala cream sauce, and the combination of mushrooms, bacon, and cheese is always a winner in my book. 

a plate of chicken marsala casserole.

Ingredients

  • Pasta 
  • Olive oil
  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts 
  • Bacon
  • Sliced baby bello mushrooms
  • Butter
  • Minced garlic
  • Flour
  • Marsala wine
  • Chicken broth
  • Half and half
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Shredded mozzarella
  • Chopped fresh parsley

Substitutes

Pasta: Any shape you like will work in this recipe. The pasta is boiled first and then mixed into the sauce before being baked, so choose your favorite! I’ve made it with rigatoni, fettuccine, and penne.

Chicken: You can skip the chicken cooking step and just add diced rotisserie chicken when you add the pasta. It’s a great shortcut to save time.

Bacon: Instead of bacon, try diced pancetta instead.

Herbs: Feel free to add in fresh thyme for an extra boost of flavor. I like to garnish with chopped parsley, but sliced basil would be wonderful, too.

close up shot of a serving on a plate.

How do you make this Rustic Chicken Marsala Bake?

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray casserole or baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook pasta as directed and drain, set aside. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Season diced chicken breast with salt and pepper and sauté in oil until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside in a large bowl. 

In the same bowl, fry bacon or pancetta until crispy and remove into the same bowl as the chicken. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook with the garlic until golden brown and tender. Set aside with the chicken and bacon. 

In the same pan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in Marsala wine and boil for 2-3 minutes to cook out the alcohol. 

Slowly stir in chicken broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half, grated cheese, chicken, pancetta, and mushrooms. 

pasta, sauce, mushrooms, and bacon in the casserole dish.

Add pasta to chicken mixture; toss gently to mix well. Spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese. 

cheese sprinkled over the casserole.

Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until hot in the center and top is slightly golden. You may also broil the top, with the oven on low for 3-5 minutes. 

Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Overhead shot of the baked casserole.

Enjoy my latest pasta bake creation Rustic Chicken Marsala.
Bon Appétit! XOXO San

More Recipes with Marsala Wine

Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!

chicken marsala casserole pinterest image.

Rustic Chicken Marsala Bake

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 382 kcal
Rustic Chicken Marsala Casserole is a baked twist on the classic meal, made with portobello mushrooms, penne pasta, and marsala wine cream sauce.
chicken marsala casserole.
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 pound pasta of your choice, cooked to package directions. I used rigatoni.
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lb chicken breast diced
  • 4 ounces bacon or pancetta
  • 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup marsala wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 cup mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 350°F. Spray casserole or baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook pasta as directed and drain, set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Season diced chicken breast with salt and pepper and saute in oil until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside in a large bowl. In the same bowl, fry bacon or pancetta until crispy and remove into the same bowl as the chicken. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook with the garlic until golden brown and tender. Set aside with the chicken and bacon.
  • In the same pan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in Marsala wine and boil for 2-3 minutes to cook out the alcohol. Slowly stir in chicken broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half, grated cheese, chicken, pancetta, and mushrooms.
  • Add pasta to chicken mixture; toss gently to mix well. Spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and mozzarella. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until hot in the center and top is slightly golden. You may also broil the top, with the oven on low for 3-5 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve. Enjoy!
Serving: 1cupCalories: 382kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 17gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 356mgPotassium: 460mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 509IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 171mgIron: 1mg
chicken marsala casserole.
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Hey, I'm Sandra! At A Dash of Sanity, you'll discover family-friendly recipes for every occasion. Whether it's speedy dinners or delectable desserts, I'm here to make your mealtime delicious, simplify your holiday baking, and unite your loved ones around the table.

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139 Comments

  1. This looks devine! My husband adores Chicken Marsala and I’ve never tried making it before. Shame on me. I love how you take a traditional dish and make it into a masterpiece. Yummy!

    Reply

    3. Sounds divine! I have a couple questions… a half pound cooked or dry pasta? and is it okay to omit the bacon/pancetta ? I know I’m missing out on all that delicious flavor.

      Reply

      1. Cooked pasta 🙂 and you can omit the bacon/pancetta, but you are right you will miss some of that smoky flavor. But it will still be tasty.

        Reply

    1. Jessie – let me know if you do. If you aren’t a mushroom fan I would try it with the portabellas for sure! xo San

      Reply

  9. You talk about your first bite, then second bite, and third…..gurl, I’d be devouring this the second I saw it! Looks amazing!

    Reply

  10. I make traditional Chicken Marsela frequently as it’s one of my husband’s favorite dishes. I can’t wait to try this, Chicken Marsela & pasta how can you go wrong! Looks like a great dish!

    Reply

  14. Oh my gosh, I did an Italian cooking class once and really screwed up the chicken marsala! This recipe looks amazing! I’m gonna face my fears and try this recipe!

    Reply

  16. This sounds great… unfortunately I am allergic to mushrooms, but I make things like this all the time for the rest of my family. Marsala is my MIL’s favorite.

    Reply

  26. This is one of them meals that makes me so hungry! Thanks for sharing it, I love pasta meals.

    Reply

  33. I’ve heard soo much about chicken marsala and I want to do it, but always afraid I’m going to mess it up.

    I’m going to jump right in one day thought!

    Thanks for sharing! Looks yum!

    Reply

    1. Claudia – YAY this made my night! Thanks – will check out your site and follow you, so I can see it! xo San

      Reply

  54. This is a very mouth-watering recipe! Your photos are so delicious and I wonder how much more could it be when I see it in real life? Oooh. I hope I can visit your home and take a bite. 😀

    Reply
  57. Pingback: Rustic Chicken Marsala Bake | The Man With The ...

  58. I just pinned your fabulous recipe and I can’t wait to taste it! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday today, it is great to have you at the party. Hope you have a very special week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  61. This is a delicious reinvented dish Sandra.I am enjoying your classic dish redos. My family would like this as well. Thanks for sharing it with us at the Let’s Get Real Friday Link Party.

    Reply

  62. This looks so amazing! Pinned!! Chicken Marsala is one of my all time favorites! This will certainly be made in my house! Thanks for sharing at The Mommy Club Link Party!

    Reply
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  64. We love chicken marsala here. This looks so much easier (& yummier!!!) than my recipe. I love that it is baked. This is already printed & I cannot wait to try it! Visiting from The Fri. Flash Blog & am so glad I did. Happy Easter!

    Reply

  65. This looks amazing! Pinned. Yeah, my son likes most vegetables but refuses to even try anything with mushrooms in it too. Even pizza.

    Reply
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  67. This looks great. If I make it for company, is it OK to assemble early in the day and bake later?

    Reply

    1. Yes Judith this will work fine!!! I would maybe add a bit more sauce, the sauce will also be a little thicker. But I love baked dishes for this reason, make a head of time and then bake. xo San

      Reply

  68. How would this be if I left the pasta out? I want to make this for a dinner party, but I already have another pasta dish… hmmm. Thoughts??

    Reply
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  72. I made this tonight. Really enjoyed this casserole, as did the rest of my family. Everyone agreed it was a keeper. I didn’t have 1/2 and 1/2 so i just added 1% milk. I also

    Reply

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  78. 5 stars
    This is absolutely declious. I love chicken marsala, so I knew I had to try this. What I didn’t know is that I wouldn’t have a chance to eat very much of it because my husband and kids absolutely destroyed it!

    Reply

  80. 5 stars
    This was so delicious! Chicken marsala is my favorite and baking it with pasta made it even better.

    Reply

  83. 5 stars
    Tomorrow’s my mom’s birthday and I would want to try this! I hope everyone would love this because it looks really good.

    Reply

  85. Am i missing something. I see this recipe serves 10, with one chicken breast? i know one can adjust the servings, but this seems ridiculous. one chicken breast and l/2 lb pasta? i can’t wait to make this, it looks delish!

    Reply

    1. Hi, we put the servings in 1 cup measurements just to make it simpler to calculate. The finished dish measured out to about 10 cups so that is what the servings are based on. You can, of course, add another chicken breast if you’d like! I hope you enjoy it 🙂

      Reply

  86. 5 stars
    It looks scrumptious! Your photos make me want to take a bite right off the page. lol Do you think I would be able to make this in a slow cooker, so I could keep it warm for a potluck? Or would it be best to bake it first, and then transfer to the slow cooker? Thanks!

    Reply

  87. 5 stars
    Amazing! Chicken Marsala is a favorite at our house! This recipe was on point! I did add a full 8oz. package of mushrooms, 4 ozs. didn’t seem like enough. We will be making this again!

    Reply

  88. Is there really only 1 chicken breast?
    Maybe call it Rustic Mushroom Marsala?
    Sounds delicious but I think I’ll add more chicken.

    Reply
4.57 from 32 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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