Marry me chicken pasta is a classic Italian dish that's packed with flavor and easy to make. Named for how well the flavors marry, this delicious pasta features flavorful chicken thighs, spinach, and gluten free pasta in a rich, creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.
Chicken, pasta, and creamy sauce are a classic combo everyone loves. That's why creamy chicken pasta recipes, such as chicken bacon mushroom pasta, have been staples in my family for years. They're easy to make, and they leave everyone wanting more.
This Marry Me chicken pasta is similar, with its rich flavor and easy preparation. It's one of those recipes that tastes like it takes forever, but in reality, it's just so easy. I love to pair it with my arugula salad with pistachios for a meal so full of flavor.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: Much like my Tuscan chicken thighs, this recipe utilizes chicken thighs and simple ingredients commonly found in any grocery store.
- Easy to Make: This recipe involves boiling pasta, searing chicken, and simmering the ingredients. It's very easy.
- Classic Flavor: This is the classic Marry Me dish, with the flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, creamy sauce, spinach, and Italian spices.
- Hearty: This recipe makes enough to feed a hungry family and leave them all satisfied.
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Ingredients
Refer to the recipe card at the end of the post for a complete list of ingredients and their precise quantities.
Flavor Variations
- Chicken Thighs: You can use chicken breasts as a substitute for chicken thighs. Shrimp would also work well.
- Spicy: Try adding red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
- Extra Cheesy: If you love cheese, try adding mozzarella to the sauce for an extra cheesy sauce.
- Pasta: Any short, textured pasta will work well in this recipe.
- Dairy Free: Follow this recipe to make a dairy free Marry Me chicken pasta version.
- No Pasta: Skip the pasta to make Marry Me chicken thighs that you can serve over rice or mashed potatoes.
- Spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne for a hint of heat.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Step 1: Wash the chicken, pat it dry, and coat it with all the chicken seasonings.
Step 2: In a large skillet over medium heat, sear the chicken in sun-dried tomato oil. Then, lower the heat, cover, and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Step 3: Cook the shallots, onions, and tomato paste in the same skillet until fragrant. Then, add the flour and cook a bit more.
Step 4: Add the broth, cream, and spinach. Cook until the sauce thickens and the spinach is wilted. Add the Parmesan and stir until melted.
Step 5: Gently stir in diced chicken and cooked pasta and garnish with fresh basil.
Step 6: Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Be sure to cook your pasta to al dente, and no further, to prevent it from breaking apart when added to the dish.
- I love my ThermoPro Lightning food thermometer for its almost instant read and accuracy.
- Preheat the pan before searing the chicken. You want it nice and hot to begin cooking the outside of the thighs immediately.
- Never let your sauce boil. It should always be at a light simmer to prevent breaking.
Marry Me Chicken Pasta FAQ
Marry Me Chicken is an Italian-inspired dish made with chicken, herbs, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and heavy cream.
Marry Me Chicken gets its name from the producer for Lindsay Fulton, the creator of the dish. Upon taking a bite, he said, "I'd marry you for that chicken!"
In the past, sun-dried tomatoes were dried in the sun. These days, they can be dried in the sun, a dehydrator, or an oven.
The most common culprit for grainy sauce is heat that's too high. If cream sauce is cooked at a temperature that's too high, it will break. The milk solids separate from the liquid, creating a grainy texture.
📖 Recipe
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¾ tbsp smoked sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sun dried tomato oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes
Pasta
- 12 oz farfalle pasta
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon dried shallots
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 3 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded parmesan
- ¼ cup diced sun dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup diced spinach
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Chopped fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
Chicken
- Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
- In a medium bowl, coat the chicken with paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the sun dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, sear the chicken for 3 minutes on both sides.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and place a lid on the pan. Then, cook the chicken thighs for 6 to 10 more minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Set the chicken aside to cool while you make the rest of the dish.
Pasta
- While the chicken is cooking, boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Then, drain it and set is aside.
- Then, melt the butter in the pan and sauté the dried shallots, minced onion, minced garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and tomato paste with the pasta seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, and paprika on medium-low heat for 2 minutes until fragrant. Then, add the flour and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and spinach to the skillet.
- Cook until the sauce begins to thicken and the spinach is wilted. Then, add the parmesan cheese and stir until creamy.
- Dice the cooled chicken into bite size pieces while the sauce cooks.
- Add the diced chicken and the pasta to the skillet and stir gently. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Freezing is not recommended.
- Reheat the entire dish over medium-low heat in a skillet or microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals.
- Be sure to cook your pasta to al dente, and no further, to prevent it from breaking apart when added to the dish.
- I love my ThermoPro Lightning food thermometer for its almost instant read and accuracy.
- Preheat the pan before searing the chicken. You want it nice and hot to begin cooking the outside of the thighs immediately.
- Never let your sauce boil. It should always be at a light simmer to prevent breaking.
Barbara Osti says
Excellent recipe but please don’t wash chicken. It is not recommended. You are just spreading bacteria all around. Chicken does not need to be washed.
Nicole Kendrick says
Hello, I am sorry you feel that way. I do like to wash my chicken deep inside of my very large sink which does not spread bacteria. I also thoroughly clean my counters when I am done.
Janae says
Omg amazing recipe!!!! So delicious!!! My fiancée now request this all the time. Trying it with tortellini instead of pasta tonight can’t wait.
Nicole Kendrick says
That makes me so happy! I bet it will be lovely with tortellini!!
Silvia Simonzadeh says
Hi, I tried your recipe I liked it, the nay thing I would cane is the amount of Italian seasoning. That was a bit stron. But I loved it. Will defibnately make it again. The only issue I had was the advertising in Chinese it covered the whole page. Every few seconds it came back. I had to take a picture of I gradients and instructions because I could not see it for more than a few seconds. I was aggravating.. anyways, thank you for sharing it. I little tweet here and there only. I added pepper flakes, liked the little bite it got.
Nicole Kendrick says
Thank you for sharing your feedback. Often, the brands of seasonings vary in flavor. It could just be the difference between our brands, but the good thing is that yes, you can always alter the seasoning and it won't affect the cooking of the dish. I do apologize about the ads, I don't personally display them.
Lea says
I made this recently for my boyfriend and I, and it was delicious! Recipe was super easy to follow. I was a bit impatient and the sauce was a little thin, but that was my fault. Over all tasted great! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Nicole Kendrick says
Thats nothing, another 2 minutes next time won't fix!!