Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Pasta is so flavorful it’s sure to elicit a marriage proposal! This creamy, delicious pasta is easy to make and gets rave reviews every time. Whip it up for a quick weeknight meal or a fancy date night!
Marry Me Chicken Pasta is one of those recipes where the flavor far outweighs the effort it takes to make it. This is why, if this recipe is not part of your regular weeknight meal rotation, it should be!
It just takes thirty minutes to put together this creamy sauce and filling pasta. With flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, chicken, and cream, it’s a meal that will leave you swooning.
Hence the name, because if the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, this is the dish that will lead the way.
If you are looking to impress your guests with minimal effort, this Marry Me Chicken Pasta recipe is the way to go!
Why Make This Recipe
- Simple and Fast: This meal can be on the table in just thirty minutes and only calls for simple ingredients! It’s perfect for when you are short on time but still want something filling and delicious.
- Customizable: This Marry Me Chicken Pasta recipe is very simple but it provides the perfect backdrop for any other flavors you want to add in. Feel free to dress it up with fresh herbs, vegetables or a slice of crusty bread.
- Minimal Dishes Pan Meal: Again, minimal effort, maximum results. You only have to dirty one pan and one pot for this meal which means not only is preparation easy but so is clean up!
What Do You Need to Make This Recipe
Ingredients
- Skinless Chicken Breasts: You could use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- All-Purpose Flour: A quick coat of flour helps form a delicious crust on your chicken pieces. You can substitute gluten-free flour if needed.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic will always provide the best burst of flavor, but you can definitely go the easier route and use minced jarred garlic as well.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Find the sun-dried tomatoes that are jarred in oil for this recipe. Drain the oil before using.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Heavy cream is what makes this sauce so rich and delicious, but if you want to use a healthier substitute, you could use half and half. I don’t recommend using milk or anything with less fat.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Red chili flakes are optional but they add excellent flavor to this dish. Feel free to add more or less to your preference.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Fresh parmesan cheese that you grate yourself will melt the best into your sauce and will offer the best flavor, but just about any grated parmesan works for this recipe.
- Rigatoni: You can use just about any noodles for this recipe but I love the way the sauce clings to thick rigatoni noodles. It would also be great with penne pasta.
Tools
- Large Pan or Skillet
Instructions
Step One: Cook the Chicken and Pasta
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
In a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag, combine the all-purpose flour with the Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Place the cubed chicken in the flour and shake the bag to coat evenly. Remove the chicken from the flour and shake off any excess. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture.
In a large skillet, melt the olive oil and the butter. Add the chicken into the skillet and allow it to cook until it browns on one side (about 3-4 minutes). Then turn it and cook until it is golden brown on the other side and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once cooked, remove the chicken to a separate plate and set aside.
Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions. Drain, then set aside.
Step Two: Prepare the Sauce
In your skillet add the olive oil and minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the sundried tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth or chicken stock, and heavy whipping cream. Stir to combine.
Add the Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, and red chili flakes. Stir to combine again.
In a small, separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the reserved flour mixture with 3 tablespoons of the sauce mixture from the pan. Stir until a paste is formed, then add that paste back into the saucepan along with ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Stir until the tomato cream sauce thickens up.
Step Three: Combine It All
Add the cooked pasta into the pan and stir for a couple of minutes or until everything is warm and coated in creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.
Add the chicken back into the skillet and add the remaining ½ cup of parmesan on top of the pasta. Mix to combine and allow it to cook, uncovered, for another few minutes until fully thickened into a sauce.
Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- You can easily adjust how thick or thin your sauce is to your preference. If you prefer a thicker sauce just allow the moisture to cook out of it for a little longer. If you feel like your sauce is too thick, add more cream, chicken broth or a splash of water to thin it out.
- Feel free to taste and adjust your sauce as you go. You may decide it needs a bit more salt, pepper, or cream. Don’t be afraid to test it out.
- You can use the same skillet for the chicken and the sauce. Those little brown bits at the bottom of the pan after cooking the chicken add excellent flavor to the creamy sauce.
Recipe Variations
- Try Different Vegetables: The flavors in this recipe pair perfectly with so many fresh or roasted vegetables. Try adding asparagus, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes or green beans. You could also garnish with colorful fresh herbs like parsley or fresh basil.
- Add Protein: While this recipe already has great protein from the chicken you can add a little more savory flavor with some bacon, some sausage, or a lighter flavor like shrimp.
- Vegan Option: This recipe revolves around the richness of cream, so making it completely vegan is a challenge but not impossible. You will just need to select your favorite vegan substitutes for cream and parmesan. You can leave the chicken out completely or replace it with vegetables or tofu.
- Experiment with Different Pasta: Different pastas add a whole new twist on this recipe. Try it with a stuffed pasta like tortellini (then you’d have my Marry Me Chicken Tortellini!) or ravioli, or simply use whatever shape of pasta you have on hand. If you really want to impress your guests, try adding Homemade Pasta or Italian Ravioli.
FAQs
Store this Marry Me Chicken Pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or frozen for up to two months.
Sometimes the cream in this recipe may separate when it is reheated. I recommend adding a splash of milk before reheating and stirring often as it reheats.
Vegetables are a welcome addition to this dish and there are so many that would compliment the flavors perfectly. Try adding spinach, mushrooms, asparagus or green beans. I recommend roasting your vegetables or sauteing them in your pan after your chicken to ensure they are cooked to perfection.
Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you always get nervous about your chicken, try using a meat thermometer to be sure!
This dish is based on a chicken dish that went viral on TikTok called Marry Me Chicken. Rumor has it this cream and sun-dried tomato combination on creamy chicken is so delicious that any partner would want to marry you to ensure they could have this dish served for the rest of their life. This pasta version makes the meal more filling and complete! It’s a perfect family favorite!
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Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Equipment
- Large Pan or Skillet
Ingredients
Chicken Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, cubed into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- ½ cup All purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Paprika
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
Pasta Ingredients
- 10 oz Rigatoni, Uncooked
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp Salt, more or less to taste
- Red Chili Flakes, to taste
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated, divided
Instructions
Chicken Instructions
- Season 1 lb chicken with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
- In a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag, combine 1/2 cup all purpose flour with the 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp paprika. Place the cubed chicken in the flour and shake the bag to coat evenly. Remove the chicken from the flour and shake off any excess. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter. Add the chicken into the skillet and allow it to cook until it browns on one side (about 3-4 minutes). Then turn it and cook until it browns on the other side and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken to a separate plate and set aside.
Pasta Instructions
- Cook 10 oz rigatoni according to the box instructions. Drain, then set aside.
- In your skillet add the 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 cup chicken broth, and 1 cup heavy whipping cream. Stir to combine.
- Add the 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp parsley, 1/2 tsp salt and red chili flakes to taste. Stir to combine again.
- In a small, separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the reserved flour mixture with 3 tablespoons of the sauce mixture from the pan. Stir until a paste is formed, then add that paste back into the saucepan along with ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Stir until the sauce thickens up.
- Add the cooked rigatoni into the pan and stir for 1 minute or until everything is warm.
- Add the chicken back into the skillet and top with the remaining ½ cup of parmesan. Mix to combine and allow it to cook, uncovered, for another few minutes until fully thickened into a sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Skinless Chicken Breasts: You could use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- All-Purpose Flour: A quick coat of flour helps form a delicious crust on your chicken pieces. You can substitute gluten-free flour if needed.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic will always provide the best burst of flavor, but you can definitely go the easier route and use minced jarred garlic as well.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Find the sun-dried tomatoes that are jarred in oil for this recipe. Drain the oil before using.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Heavy cream is what makes this sauce so rich and delicious, but if you want to use a healthier substitute, you could use half and half. I don’t recommend using milk or anything with less fat.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Red chili flakes are optional but they add excellent flavor to this dish. Feel free to add more or less to your preference.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Fresh parmesan cheese that you grate yourself will melt the best into your sauce and will offer the best flavor, but just about any grated parmesan works for this recipe.
- Rigatoni: You can use just about any noodles for this recipe but I love the way the sauce clings to thick rigatoni noodles. It would also be great with penne pasta.
- You can easily adjust how thick or thin your sauce is to your preference. If you prefer a thicker sauce just allow the moisture to cook out of it for a little longer. If you feel like your sauce is too thick, add more cream, chicken broth, or a splash of water to thin it out.
- Feel free to taste and adjust your sauce as you go. You may decide it needs a bit more salt, pepper, or cream. Don’t be afraid to test it out.
- You can use the same skillet for the chicken and the sauce. Those little brown bits at the bottom of the pan after cooking the chicken add excellent flavor to the creamy sauce.