Creamy Mushroom Marsala Sauce Recipe

I put together a creamy Mushroom Marsala Sauce in 25 minutes that I call my Marsala Pasta Sauce because it doubles as a quick, versatile topper for chicken, steak, pork chops, baked potatoes or stirred into pasta.

I stumbled on this Creamy Mushroom Marsala Sauce and it threw me off in the best way. The cremini mushrooms brown into these deep little jewels and the Marsala wine brings a sweet, toasty depth that keeps sneaking back at you.

The sauce finishes silky and stubbornly flavorful, like it remembers every spoon that touched it. I sometimes call it my Marsala Pasta Sauce, even though I almost never plan it, it just happens.

It’s fast, kinda fancy without trying, and has this one secret note that makes you want to know what else you could ruin by adding it.

Ingredients

• Mushrooms, earthy and meaty, low calorie, provide fiber and B vitamins, soak up flavors
• Marsala wine adds sweet, nutty depth and caramel notes, alcohol cooks off while simmering
• Heavy cream brings rich, velvety texture, adds fat and calories, smooths acidic wine
• Shallot and garlic give sharp, savory aromatics, tiny calories, big flavor impact
• Parmesan adds salty umami, a bit of protein and calcium, punches up savory notes
• Butter and olive oil help brown mushrooms, carry flavors, boost richness and mouthfeel

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small shallot, minced or 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (optional)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

How to Make this

1. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until the butter stops foaming. Add the 12 ounces sliced mushrooms in a single layer, don’t overcrowd the pan or they’ll steam, let them brown about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then; season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper near the end. Browning is everything, so be patient.

2. Push the mushrooms to one side, add the minced shallot (or 1/4 cup onion) and 2 minced garlic cloves to the empty space and cook 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, don’t let the garlic burn.

3. Pour in 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon; let the wine reduce for about 1 to 2 minutes so the alcohol cooks off and the flavor concentrates.

4. Add 1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a gentle simmer.

5. If using the 1 tablespoon flour for a thicker sauce, sprinkle it over the mushrooms now and stir/cook 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the broth so no lumps form. If not using flour, just continue with the broth as is.

6. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream, lower the heat to medium low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes; keep it gentle so the cream doesn’t break.

7. Stir in 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan if using, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme), and taste for seasoning.

8. Finish with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley and, if you like a little brightness, 1 teaspoon lemon juice; simmer another 30 seconds to meld flavors.

9. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, thin with a splash more broth if too thick or simmer a little longer if too thin. Serve over chicken, steak, pork chops, baked potato, or stir into pasta and enjoy.

Equipment Needed

1. Large heavy skillet (about 12-inch)
2. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
3. Chef’s knife
4. Cutting board
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
6. Whisk
7. Tongs or slotted spoon
8. Microplane or fine grater (for Parmesan)
9. Small mixing bowl

FAQ

Creamy Mushroom Marsala Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Marsala wine: dry sherry (closest swap), Madeira (richer flavor), dry white wine plus a splash of brandy or a pinch of brown sugar, or for no booze use unsweetened grape juice with 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• Heavy cream: full fat coconut milk (dairy free), half and half plus 1 to 2 tbsp melted butter per cup, whole milk thickened with 1 tbsp cornstarch per cup and simmered, or Greek yogurt thinned with a little milk added off the heat so it wont curdle
• All purpose flour (thickener): cornstarch slurry (use about half the flour amount), arrowroot (same ratio as cornstarch), potato starch, or skip thickener and just simmer sauce longer to reduce and thicken
• Parmesan cheese: Pecorino Romano (sharper, saltier), Grana Padano (milder), nutritional yeast for a cheesy vegan note, or omit and add a little extra cream and butter for richness

Pro Tips

1) Make the mushrooms bone dry before they hit the pan. If theyre wet theyll steam not brown. Use a big skillet so they can sit in a single layer, dont crowd them, and resist touching them every few seconds so they can get a deep color.

2) Turn the heat down before adding the cream. High heat will make it break or separate. If the sauce looks curdled, pull the pan off heat and whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter or a splash more cream to smooth it out.

3) If you want a lump free thicker sauce, mix the flour with a little cold broth or cream first to make a thin slurry, then whisk it in slowly. Another easy trick is a small bit of beurre manié (soft butter and flour pinched together) added at the end for shine and body.

4) Boost the flavor at the end not the start. Cook the Marsala down until its syrupy so the flavor concentrates, then finish with a squeeze of lemon or a little lemon zest and fresh parsley to brighten. If tossing with pasta, add a splash of pasta cooking water and a little Parm off heat so it melts smooth instead of clumping.