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.
Sarah says
Holy smokes, this recipe is amazing! The name is spot on! I saw a reel on instagram or Facebook for it and had to try it. Thank you! ☺️
Nicole Kendrick says
Awe!!! so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!!
Leon says
Easy to make and very delicious!! 10/10
Nicole Kendrick says
Thank you!
Ellie says
The nicest pasta dish I have ever made!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback!
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!
Vana says
Made this after thanksgiving with leftover turkey. Delicious!!
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!
CB says
Excellent!! I used half and half instead of cream and it was still creamy and delicious!!
NKendrick says
Thank you for sharing!
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:)
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.
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!
Criss says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
LISA says
This was amazing, thanks for the great recipe!
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.
Mikela says
Creamiest pasta I’ve ever had, and the sun dried tomatoes added to it made the dish even more delicious!
Dana says
Can I substitute with orzo pasta?
NKendrick says
Absolutely, any pasta will work for this dish.