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. Recipes like this chicken bacon mushroom pasta have been staples in my family for years. They're easy to make, and they leave everyone wanting more. This recipe is much the same, with its rich flavor and easy preparation.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: This recipe uses chicken thighs and simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store.
- Easy to Make: This recipe is basically boiling pasta, searing chicken, and simmering ingredients. It's very easy.
- Classic Flavor: This is the classic marry me chicken, 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.
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs give this dish a deep, rich chicken flavor.
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and pepper give both the chicken and sauce complex flavor with a slightly smoky and sweet undertone.
- Sundried Tomato Oil: Using sundried tomato oil keeps the chicken from sticking to the pan and adds even more flavor.
- Spinach: Spinach adds color and texture to the dish.
- Chicken Broth and Heavy Cream: Chicken broth and cream create a rich sauce for the dish.
- Tomato Puree: Tomato puree creates the signature tomato flavor of the cream sauce.
- Farfalle Pasta: This gluten free pasta is a fun shape that holds the sauce well.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Chicken Breast: You can use chicken breasts in place of chicken thighs.
- 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.
Instructions
Chicken
1: Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels, then add them to a medium bowl and coat them with all the spices.
2: Sear the chicken on both sides in the sundried tomato oil on medium heat. Then, lower the heat, cover, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Set is aside to cool. I love the ThermoPro Lightning thermometer for its almost instant read and accuracy. Use Code: Nicole20 for 20% off.
Pasta
1: Boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
2: Cook the shallots, onions, and tomato paste with butter in the same skillet as the chicken until fragrant. Then, add the flour and cook a bit more.
3: Add the broth, cream, and spinach and cook until the sauce thickens and the spinach wilts. Then, add the parmesan cheese.
4: Dice the cooled chicken into bite-size pieces. Then, add the pasta and chicken to the pan and gently stir. Garnish with fresh basil.
Hint
Be sure to cook your pasta to al dente and no further to prevent the pasta from breaking apart when added to the dish.
Storage
Refrigerate this dish for up to 3 days in an air-tight, freezer-safe container. To reheat it, place it in a saucepan or large skillet and cook over medium-low until heated through.
What to Serve with Marry Me Chicken Pasta with Spinach
This is a complete meal, so keep things light and serve it with a little bread or breadsticks and a salad for a little more veggie goodness.
For dessert, finish things off with brownie cheesecake, lemon curd cake, or peanut butter brownies.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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📖 Recipe
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
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 in an airtight container.
- Like any cream-based sauce, this recipe does not freeze well.
- Ensure your pasta is cooked to al dente and no further. Overcooked pasta will break apart when mixed into the sauce.
- The best way to know that your chicken is perfectly cooked is to use a meat thermometer.
- Add some red pepper flakes or cayenne for a kick of heat!
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
DK says
Can never go wrong with a Chicken Pasta! Love how creamy and flavorful this is. Plus it's perfect if you'd like it extra cheesy and spicy!
Jacqueline Debono says
Although more Italian-American than actually Italian, this is a super creamy and tasty pasta recipe. Everyone wanted second helpings!
NKendrick says
Definitely Italian American! I am Italian but was born in America! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
Swathi says
Marry me chicken pasta is delicious, when I made it kids enjoyed it.
Criss says
I tried the Marry Me Chicken Pasta, and it was fantastic! The flavors were rich and creamy—definitely a keeper. Thanks for the great recipe!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much! Happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much!
Garland powell says
sooo good and the flavor was amazing !
NKendrick says
Thank you so much!
Mbali says
These are literally the best recipes I’ve ever got to try😍
NKendrick says
Yay! Thank you for sharing!
Natalie Greene says
Oh my gosh this was soo good and tasty. There was a few things I substituted but it still tasted so good. Would def recommend it’s not hard to make and very quick!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much!
TL says
Great dish, super yummy, one of our favorites!
Quick question, recipe calls for Italian seasoning, paprika and salt under the "pasta" section. I know to add that to chicken, but do you also add to pasta part? This was left out of the written recipe. Just asking.
NKendrick says
Funny thing, I noticed this today myself when I was making it!! I am fixing that now!
Patrick Papineau says
I just made this dish the other night. It was so good. We`ll be making this more often. Appreciate giving us a great recipe!!!
NKendrick says
Yay! Thank you so much for sharing! Happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Annie says
What a great site full of delicious recipes!!! Everything I’ve tried has been above and beyond, a crowd pleaser every time!!!!
NKendrick says
Awe, that was so kind! thank YOU!!
Anonymous says
My family loved this!
NKendrick says
Yay!! so glad!
Ashley says
can i just used fresh garlic and shallots? there are no dried shallots in my area.
NKendrick says
Absolutely, even better!
Juyali says
Another amaaaazing recipe from your website. So comforting. I made it for company and it was a hit. Delicious. Thank you for making me look like such a good cook! 😉
NKendrick says
Thank you so much!
Kate says
Absolutely delicious! So flavorful and easy to make. Will definitely be making again soon!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much!
Dana says
Can I substitute with orzo pasta?
NKendrick says
Absolutely, any pasta will work for this dish.
Mikela says
Creamiest pasta I’ve ever had, and the sun dried tomatoes added to it made the dish even more delicious!
nancy says
i would marry myself too if i made this dish for my hubby the first time. haha , this was a delicious recipe. thanks for sharing.
LISA says
This was amazing, thanks for the great recipe!
Criss says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Katie says
I have family members who do not care for sundried tomatoes or any kind of tomatoes. Suggestions without suffering loss of flavor?
NKendrick says
You could always do roasted red peppers!
Sandra Pigeon says
Omg that was delicious! I used chicken breasts as opposed to thighs and didn’t have dried shallots so used the same amount of onion powder because that what I had on hand. I have leftovers and was wondering can it be frozen?
2 thumbs up.
NKendrick says
Thank you! I don't recommend freezing as the cream will separate in the freezer.
Amanda says
Very easy to follow. My family and I devoured this meal. The only thing I got caught up on was the sun dried tomato oil that I was trying to find at the grocery store.
NKendrick says
Usually, you can find the sun-dried tomatoes in oil. Thats what I end up using:)
CB says
Excellent!! I used half and half instead of cream and it was still creamy and delicious!!
NKendrick says
Thank you for sharing!
Kelsi says
So so good! The adults added some CRP. And I used rigatoni pasta instead but was a huge hit in my home. Thanks for sharing it with us! 🤗🤤
NKendrick says
SO happy you enjoyed it!
Vana says
Made this after thanksgiving with leftover turkey. Delicious!!
Baylee Ryan says
FAVORITE meal i’ve EVER made 😭 thank you for this recipe!!!!
NKendrick says
So so glad you enjoyed! Have a blessed day!
Ellie says
The nicest pasta dish I have ever made!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback!
Leon says
Easy to make and very delicious!! 10/10
Nicole Kendrick says
Thank you!