Revisit chicken Marsala with a version that hits all the right notes

This version of chicken Marsala gets a boost of flavor from diced pancetta and a touch of fresh lemon juice. Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post; food styling by Gina Nistico

Chicken Marsala is an Italian American classic. In its most basic form, it starts with thin pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast, seasoned with salt and lightly dredged in flour. The chicken is quickly browned in a skillet with some form of fat, then a quick pan sauce is made with marsala wine, which is served over the chicken.

As the name suggests, it’s really all about the Marsala, a fortified wine that hails from the town of the same name in Sicily. “Vanilla, spice, smoke and caramel are some of the scents it can manifest,” famed Italian chef and cookbook author Marcella Hazan wrote in “Marcella Cucina.”