Tuesday Night Sunday Night Dinner

Hi everyone! I am sorry that tonight's dinner wasn't on a Sunday Night. I had to make some cash Sunday night to support my cooking, and last night was a very important birthday party. Next week will be all Sunday Sunday Sunday, I promise! Or not. You don't own me.

Any hooooooo.

Tonight's menu:

Chicken Marsala: Revamped!

Spinach Salad

So this Sunday Night Dinner isn't as involved as usual because it's a Tuesday Night Sunday Night Dinner. You could totally do this after work, even if you have to stop at the store for ingredients. Give it a shot.

I've been making chicken marsala for a while now, but I saw a Giada recipe today with a twist, so I added some things from her recipe while keeping a few of my favorites.

Start by filling a large pot of water to cook the pasta. Seriously do this first. That is one of my biggest flaws. I never put the pasta water on to boil soon enough. Just do it. If it boils too soon, tough. Let 'er boil away. A watched pot never boils. It's totally true.

Or not at all. Whatever. Just put the pot on.

While the water gets all hot and ready for your pasta, take four chicken breasts that you've pounded flat with a meat mallet - DO NOT try to take your meat mallet on a plane with your carry on luggage, right Karla? Preheat a pan (I used my larger cast iron skillet, ten inches) with a three to four count of olive oil. Salt and pepper those guys and throw them in the pan. You want to get some good color on them, but do not over cook. If they are underdone, totally fine. You are going to put them back in the skillet with the sauce later to finish cooking. Probably four to five minutes per side, depending on how thin they are. Take them out and put them aside.

Slice up some prosciutto and add it to the pan, I'd say four ounces or so. While it cooks, slice a medium sized onion. I'm not a fan of chopping onions. I've become a grown up lately about onions, I can eat them in their cooked form, the more cooked the better. So I find when I slice them they brown faster. Go figure. When the prosciutto has cooked a bit (but not too much - you don't want it to burn - I'd say one minute), throw the sliced onions in with one tablespoon of butter (yup, even on a Tuesday) and some salt/pepper. If the pan looks dry, and a little more oil. Whilst your onions cook, slice some mushrooms. DO. NOT. WASH. MUSHROOMS. Lightly wipe them with a damp cloth. If you wash them they get all rubbery, and I think they have a tendency to be rubbery to begin with. But I am trying to become a grown up about mushrooms too. So after the onions have cooked for a few minutes, toss the sliced mushrooms in. You want those to get some color on them as well. While the mushrooms cook, smash and chop a few cloves of garlic. Put those in only after the mushrooms have cooked at least eight or so minutes. Let the garlic cook just a minute or so until you smell it, then add a cup and a half of marsala wine. MMMM, delish. Let that simmer for two to three minutes to cook the alcohol off. Next add one and a half to two tablespoons of dijon mustard. I made it with two tablespoons and looooved it, but my other half found it to be a little mustardy, so I think it depends upon your love of mustard. I'm Daddy's girl, so I love me some mustard. With the mustard, also add half of an eight ounce container of mascarpone cheese. This will really thicken the sauce and make it deliciously creamy. Once the mustard and mascarpone cheese are mixed in, slice up the chicken in large slices and add them back to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices. Be sure to taste taste taste for seasoning. I found I wanted more garlic, so I added a few shakes of garlic powder. Also add some chopped Italian parsley at this point. It really brightens up the flavor.

Did you put the pasta in the water? You should have put the pasta in around the time you put the mushrooms in. I used farfalle, it's really great to hold this sauce. But you could go with linguine or spaghetti if you like the twirling effect. Once the pasta is al dente, drain it and add a little olive oil so that it doesn't stick.

And you're done! Build your plate with pasta on the bottom, chicken and sauce on top, and a lightly dressed spinach salad on the side. The sauce is velvety and creamy, but still has that unmistakable Marsala taste. It's really delicious, and I urge you to give it a go! Thanks, Giada, for the inspiration!

As always, let me know how it goes with you!

-D