Cheater Chicken Marsala Pasta

This is a recipe that I based off of our standard Chicken Marsala recipe. I was craving something salty the other night (probably because I have been doing a lot of jogging lately), but I didn't want anything too heavy or too laborious to put together. I remembered that I had a handful of mushrooms in the refrigerator that needed to be used and I had all the other ingredients on hand for Chicken Marsala.

However, I didn't want to have to go to the effort of flouring the chicken (I told you I wanted to make something easy and flouring anything always seems like a lot of work to me, even though it really is not). So I decided to take the heart of Chicken Marsala but simplify the process a bit. I also decided to skip the mashed potatoes and go with the orzo pasta making the meal a bit lighter. Plus I love orzo pasta. If you haven't ever had it be sure to try it; somehow it always seems to make things creamier smoother tasting. I don't know how to describe it, I just know I like it!

Cheater Chicken Marsala Pasta
Recipe by Caroline
Picture by Caroline
Makes 2 servings

1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cubed
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2/3 cup dry orzo pasta
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon


Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add red onion and saute until almost transparent. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms begin to soften. Remove onion-mushroom mixture from heat and set aside. 
2. Using the same pan, return to medium heat, add 1 tablespoon butter. Cube the chicken and season with the marjoram. Add chicken to heated skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes each side or until chicken is mostly cooked. While chicken is cooking combine chicken broth, cooking wine and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; whisk until flour is incorporated into liquid. Add broth mixture to the chicken and stir. Add onion-mushroom mixture to chicken and cook over medium heat until broth is simmering; reduce heat to low and continue stirring for 5 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken. 
3. Meanwhile, cook orzo pasta according to package directions, adding 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon to cooking water. When pasta is done, drain and add to chicken mixture. Serve warm.