There’s a subtle change in the air even though it’s still August. The days are a bit shorter now. The light is different, producing shadows in different places. We opted for Chicken Marsala last night instead of automatically thinking about putting something on the grill.

This version of Chicken Marsala is loosely adapted from Lidia Bastianich’s recipe for Pork Scaloppine with Mushrooms and Marsala from her Lidia’s Italy cookbook. The first time that I made it, I substituted chicken for the pork. We liked it so much with chicken that I’ve never made it with pork.

Ingredients:

6 chicken tenders
salt, pepper, flour for dredging
6 TBS olive oil
4 TBS butter
3-4 TBS finely chopped shallot (or onion)
1/4 tsp. ground sage (or 3 fresh leaves)
2 C sliced mushrooms (white or baby bella)
1 C Marsala (dry or sweet)
1 C chicken stock

Directions:

Tip: Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta before you begin frying the chicken.

1. Pound the chicken tenders between pieces of plastic wrap to create even cutlets. Season with salt and pepper and dredge with flour. Shake off excess. ( Do this immediately before frying.)
2. Heat 4 TBS olive oil and 2 TBS butter in a skillet. Fry the cutlets until golden. Set them aside.
3. Pour off the excess oil. Put 2 TBS olive oil and 2 TBS butter in the pan. When it’s hot, add the onions and sage. Cook for a minute or two on medium to medium high heat.
4. Add the mushrooms. Season with a little salt and pepper. Toss and stir until the moisture evaporates.
5. SHUT OFF HEAT. Add Marsala. Raise heat until it boils. Let it reduce for about 2 minutes.
6. Add stock. Cook at a gentle bubble until sauce is slightly thickened. About 5 minutes. Check for seasoning. You might want to add a little more salt and/or pepper.
7. One by one, slide the cutlets into the sauce until they are all coated and heated through.
8. Cook about 1/2 pound of spaghetti or linguini. Add the spaghetti to the chicken and sauce and mix to combine.

As good as this was last night, it’s back to grilling tonight. Can’t start letting go of summer this soon!