What Pasta to Serve with Chicken Marsala: 10 Kinds of Pasta
We love chicken marsala as much as the next person, but when it comes to pasta, we’re not willing to settle for just any old noodle.
Here are ten kinds of pasta that pair perfectly with your favorite chicken marsala recipe.
What Pasta to Serve with Chicken Marsala: 10 Kinds of Pasta
You’ll want to serve pasta that goes well with chicken marsala. The dish pairs well with a wide variety of pastas, including spaghetti, penne, rigatoni and angel hair. You can also choose a pasta that is light, like linguine or orzo.
Looking for more options?
Keep reading!
1. Spaghetti
Spaghetti is the perfect pasta to serve with chicken marsala.
You can make your own noodles using just a few simple ingredients (and you don’t need an expensive pasta maker, either).
If you’re not much of a cook or you don’t have the time, you can buy ready-made spaghetti at any grocery store.
Follow these easy steps for a delicious dinner:
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken breasts in olive oil until golden brown on each side (about 5 minutes per side).
- Add marsala wine and simmer until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.
Pro tip: If you’re looking for extra flavor, try mixing in some balsamic vinegar into the sauce during cooking. It may sound strange at first, but the vinegar will help balance out the sweetness of the marsala wine while also giving it a nice acidic kick.
2. Fettuccine
Chicken marsala is a sauce-heavy recipe.
It’s also not super light so you need something that’s substantial enough to stand up to its richness—but also doesn’t get lost in the mix. Fettuccine’s flat shape and thick width do exactly that: they soak up the sauce, but they don’t get soggy.
It’s the perfect balance of lightness and heft. Plus: bacon! If you add bacon to the recipe, it adds some smoky flavor and a nice crunch when you bite into it. And who doesn’t love that?
Try adding a little bit of spinach or arugula to the dish too—it’ll make your dinner balanced and even more delicious.
3. Ziti
Ziti is great because it’s like penne and rigatoni (See Also: 13 Best Sauces for Rigatoni Pasta) had a baby.
It’s longish, so you can twirl it around your fork like spaghetti, but it has those deep ridges that are great for holding on to whatever deliciousness you’re serving with it.
And with chicken marsala?
You’ll want to dig in and savor every bite!
Here’s how you can make it happen:
- First, get yourself some ziti. Pick up a box of your favorite brand at the grocery store, or make your own (if you haven’t tried making your own pasta yet, now’s the time!).
- Next, get to work on that marsala sauce. If you’ve never made it before, no worries—it’s really not as complicated as it sounds. We’ll walk you through how to make an easy chicken marsala in this video here: [link].
- While your chicken is simmering in its delicious marsala sauce bath, boil up your pasta and drain well.
Serve and enjoy!
4. Penne
Penne is one of those pastas that just goes with everything.
It’s great for pasta salad, it’s great for casseroles, and it goes particularly well with chicken marsala.
There are all kinds of ways you can use penne with chicken marsala.
I like to use a store-bought sauce, but you can make your own if you want.
You can also make baked penne, or just serve it on its own with the chicken and sauce on top.
It’s really up to you!
To get the best flavor out of the penne, use a good quality pasta (like De Cecco). Also, be sure not to overcook it!
Cook it al dente so that it stays chewy and doesn’t get mushy.
5. Farfalle
Chicken marsala is a rich dish, and it needs a pasta that won’t be overwhelmed.
Farfalle is the perfect complement: lighter than other pastas, but sturdy enough to stand up to the sauce.
Try cooking some farfalle in water that has been seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil for added flavor.
Add some asparagus or peas to the water about 5 minutes before the pasta is done.
Drain the pasta and veggies, and stir them into your chicken marsala.
Add some chopped parsley over everything for a pop of green color, then sprinkle on some grated parmesan cheese.
You can also try sprinkling on some pine nuts for added crunch!
6. Linguine
Have you ever tried a linguine recipe?
It’s like fettuccine except narrow, which means it’ll grab onto all of that delicious sauce that comes with the chicken marsala.
And it’s great for a weeknight dinner because it cooks up in just a few minutes!
- To make linguine with chicken marsala, cook the pasta according to the package directions, then toss your pasta with ¼ cup of the chicken broth that’s left over from making the marsala.
- When you add your cooked chicken and mushrooms to the pasta, make sure you also add a little bit of butter to help bring everything together.
- Then serve and enjoy!
If you’re looking for a delicious linguine recipe
7. Macaroni
Macaroni is a good choice for chicken marsala.
It’s neutral in flavor, so it won’t overpower the chicken, and its tubular shape holds on to sauces well.
To make this a meal, you can add some cream to your marsala sauce and then mix it together with the pasta.
Then top it with some parmesan cheese.
8. Tagliatelle
Tagliatelle is a great choice when it comes to pasta to serve with chicken marsala.
The best part about this type of pasta is that you can use it in all kinds of meals.
It goes really well with tomato sauce or a cream sauce, and its flat shape makes it easy to mix things like meats, vegetables, or cheese into the dish.
It’s also pretty easy to make!
You can get dried tagliatelle at most grocery stores, and you can boil it up in just a few minutes.
It tastes great plain with some olive oil and parmesan cheese, but if you want to make something more complicated, try cooking some mushrooms in a pan with butter and garlic until they’re soft.
Then add some salt and pepper and serve them on top of the tagliatelle.
9. Bucatini
Bucatini is a great pasta to serve with chicken marsala.
Don’t forget to check out these bucatini recipes if you want to cook with bucatini.
It’s got a lot of body, so it’s able to stand up to the chicken, which is robust and hearty in flavor.
The sauce of chicken marsala is rich, and the bacon and mushrooms add crunch and texture.
To make this meal work as a complete dish, I recommend adding some vegetables to the mix—broccoli, carrots, peas, or green beans would all complement this dish well.
Here’s how I usually do it:
- To serve your guests a delicious meal of chicken marsala with bucatini, first cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare your chicken marsala according to your preferred recipe.
- When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and then add it directly to the finished chicken marsala mixture.
- Serve immediately!
10. Orecchiette
If you want a pasta to go with your chicken marsala, orecchiette is a great choice.
Don’t miss out on this list of orecchiette pasta recipes.
This Italian pasta literally translates to “little ears,” and they’re perfect for absorbing and holding the delicious sauce from your chicken marsala.
The trick to making this work as a meal is to cook your pasta and chicken at the same time, so that both are done at the same time.
Here’s how:
- Start by boiling some water for your pasta, and then sauteeing your chicken in olive oil.
- While those are cooking, heat up a pan of wine for your sauce.
- As soon as the wine starts to simmer, add in a cup of heavy cream, one tablespoon of minced garlic, and two tablespoons of chopped shallots.
- Mix it all together and let it simmer on low heat until everything else is ready.
- When the pasta is nearly al dente, drain it and add it to the sauce you just made, making sure to stir well so that all of the sauce gets absorbed into the pasta.
- Last but not least, add in your cooked chicken breast strips and mix again.
You’ll have a delicious meal ready in no time!
Tips for Choosing Pasta to Serve with Chicken Marsala
If you’ve never cooked chicken marsala before, you are in for a treat!
This flavorful, savory dish is a great one to bust out when you want to impress your guests with a restaurant-worthy meal.
But to make sure you knock it out of the park, it’s important to keep one thing in mind: serving it with the right pasta is crucial.
Here are seven tips for choosing the best pasta to serve with chicken marsala:
1. Go for A Pasta that Has Some Texture
The sauce for Chicken Marsala is rich and creamy, so you want to choose a pasta shape that has enough texture on its surface to really help that sauce cling.
You can use any shape of penne, or go for something like gemelli (twisted strands) or farfalle (bowties).
2. Avoid Any Pasta that Is Not Traditionally Italian
This means that you should steer clear of Chinese noodles and Japanese udon.
In order to make an authentic Italian chicken marsala, you need to start with real Italian pasta.
If you do not have access to real Italian noodles, you may be able to find substitutes at your local grocery store.
3. Consider how The Pasta Will Interact with The Rest of The Dish
For example, if you are choosing a fontina-filled ravioli, then this will already be a very rich dish and you should probably avoid adding extra cheese on top.
On the other hand, if your version of chicken marsala is light on cheese, then you can probably go ahead and add some parmesan or other hard cheese on top.
4. Make Sure Your Pasta Is Fresh
Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, and when you’re trying to time everything just right so the chicken and sauce are ready at the same time as your pasta, fresh noodles are a must-have.
If you have time, consider making your own noodles for this dish! It’s easier than it sounds and will definitely wow your guests.
5. Pick a Pasta Color that Will Complement Your Ingredients
You want your guests to look down at their plate and see something beautiful and appetizing staring back at them—not something ugly or off-putting!
So, think carefully about what color pasta will look best with your other ingredients before making your final decision.
6. Choose a Pasta that Will Allow the Sauce to Stick
One of the most common mistakes people make when pairing their chicken marsala with pasta is choosing a noodle that doesn’t allow the sauce to cling very well.
That can mean that the sauce ends up pooling at the bottom of your bowl, instead of coating and flavoring every bite.
A good way to avoid this problem is by choosing a short-cut pasta, like penne or rigatoni.
These noodles will hold plenty of sauce and ensure that every bite has just as much as you want it to.
7. Prepare the Pasta Properly
If you want the perfect plate of chicken marsala—which we know you do!—you need to make sure that your pasta is cooked in a very specific way.
It should be cooked only al dente and then finished with a bit of butter and parmesan cheese before serving it with your chicken marsala.
10 Kinds of Pasta to Serve with Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- Spaghetti
- Fettuccine
- Ziti
- Penne
- Farfalle
- Linguine
- Macaroni
- Tagliatelle
- Bucatini
- Orecchiette
Instructions
- Pick your favorite kind of pasta from this list to use in your meal.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Be ready to eat in less than 20 minutes!
Hi, I'm Benjamin. I love cooking, long walks, and my girlfriend! Here you’ll find simple and delicious recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less.