Marry me chicken pasta has all the savory flavors and ingredients I crave. This recipe makes a creamy, bold sauce that coats the pasta and tender chicken perfectly.
Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, all in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, and topped with fresh basil and more Parmesan, is a luscious meal that you can make in 30 minutes. This fast and easy dish is perfect for a weekday meal and impressive enough for company. Add a loaf of crusty bread, and you have a delicious dinner.
If you love to serve restaurant-quality pasta dishes at home for dinner, after you try this dish I hope you’ll try our chicken alfredo, chicken spaghetti, Cajun chicken alfredo, chicken tetrazzini next!
MARRY ME CHICKEN PASTA INGREDIENTS
- Ziti: This tube-shaped pasta is perfect for this sauce. The sauce gets into the pasta for a little burst of flavor. Cook to al dente. Salt the pasta water well before bringing to a boil.
- Vegetable Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil. Extra virgin olive oil is fine too.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast: Healthy white meat is the perfect protein for this dish.
- Oil From Sun-Dried Tomatoes: I always save the oil and use it at times like this.
- Shallots: This mild onion is a flavor combination of red onion and garlic.
- Garlic: Garlic makes everything better!
- Red Pepper Flakes: A little hint of heat is nice. Of course, this is optional for those sensitive to spicy.
- Tomato Paste: This concentrated tomato product gives more depth to your sauce.
- Italian Seasoning: A great mix of rosemary, marjoram, thyme, oregano, and basil.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is used to thicken the sauce.
- White Wine: Adding a little wine adds another level of flavor that is subtle but wonderful. The alcohol cooks out, so no worries.
- Heavy Cream: For a creamy sauce.
- Cream Cheese: Another ingredient to thicken and add more creaminess to the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: Nutty and salty, this is an excellent cheese for sauces.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: This ingredient packs a lot of flavor—an essential ingredient to Marry Me recipes.
- Fresh Basil: Another essential ingredient to the Marry Me flavor. Stack the leaves, roll them, then slice for an easier way to julienne basil.
TIPS + VARIATIONS
- Reserve Pasta Water: Before draining the pasta, dip a liquid measuring cup into the boiling water and reserve and use for thinning the sauce as needed. The reserved pasta water has just the right starch from cooking the pasta and is already seasoned with salt.
- Chicken: This recipe is simple and easy to follow. Be careful not to overcook the chicken, since chicken breast can be dry. Use thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Too Spicy? You may omit the red pepper flakes.
- No Alcohol: If sensitive to alcohol, you can substitute it with chicken broth. That said, the white wine adds more flavor than the chicken broth.
- Shred It: Using freshly grated Parmesan cheese will lend ultimate texture and flavor. However, if you have pre-grated, it’s okay to use it. I would suggest avoiding pre-shredded, though. It won’t melt well.
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta With Spinach: This recipe is delicious with spinach. Just add a handful or so to the skillet when you add the chicken.
- Paprika? Some recipes add it to the sauce. I don’t care for it in this dish. Feel free to experiment with it if you’d like!
- Switch Up The Pasta: I also like this dish with penne pasta, too.
- Gluten-Free: Grab some gluten-free pasta and use it instead.
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This in The Fridge? Once made, your leftovers will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. Store in an airtight container. Over time, the pasta will soak up the sauce, and the ingredients may become dry. When reheating, add cream and/or chicken broth, or pasta water if you still have any left.
- Reheat: I reheat leftovers in the microwave.
- Can You Freeze This? It’s not suggested, since the mixture may not defrost well, in my opinion. The dairy in this recipe doesn’t freeze well.
- Make-Ahead: Yes, you can do this ahead of time. Make the sauce (through Step 8) and combine it with the cooked chicken, basil, parmesan, and other ingredients. Make the pasta and chill it separately from the sauce. When ready, reheat the sauce with chicken on low-medium heat. Add the pasta and heat until warm. Serve.
- Food Safety: For more information on food safety, check out this link.
HOW TO MAKE MARRY ME CHICKEN PASTA RECIPE
- Cook the pasta in a large pot according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Sprinkle the chicken cubes with salt and pepper. Cook in a large skillet and set aside.
- Saute the aromatics and red pepper flakes using oil from sun-dried tomatoes.
- Add tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and flour to the skillet. Pour the wine and let it reduce by half.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the cream.
- Add cream cheese, parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer on medium-low heat.
- Add the cooked chicken and pasta. Mix.
- Serve.
***See the full instructions below.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS
This is delicious with copycat Olive Garden breadsticks, our garlic bread (loaded with garlic and fresh herbs. I think it’s the best you can make!), or garlic and herb Parker House Rolls.
We also like it with our spinach strawberry salad or strawberry salad (both unique with their own delish dressings), 1905 salad, pizza salad, or our fully-loaded Mediterranean salad.
MORE CHICKEN PASTA RECIPES
- Chicken Spaghetti With Rotel
- Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
- Chicken Riggies
- Crack Chicken Penne
- Buffalo Chicken Casserole
MORE CREAMY PASTA DISHES!
- Baked Ziti Pasta With Ricotta
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno
- Four Cheese Linguine with Prosciutto
TRIED THIS RECIPE?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Marry me chicken pasta makes a creamy bold sauce that coats the pasta and tender chicken perfectly. It is a luscious meal that you can make in 30 minutes.
Servings: 6 - 8 servings
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons oil from sun dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes and at room temperature
- 1/4 cup, plus more for passing grated parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, slivered and oil dabbed off with paper towels
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, juiellened
Instructions
- Cook pasta (16 ounces) according to package instructions in water with 2 tablespoons salt. Drain.
- Sprinkle the chicken cubes (1 1/2 pounds) with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and toss to evenly season.
- In a 12-inch, high-sided skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken cubes then cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate.
- Add the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes (2 tablespoons), garlic (1 tablespoon), red pepper flakes (1/2 teaspoon), and shallots (1/4 cup) to the skillet and sauté until shallots are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add tomato paste (2 tablespoons), Italian seasoning (1 1/2 teaspoons), and all-purpose flour (2 tablespoons) to skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Pour the wine (1/2 cup) to the skillet, set the heat to medium, and simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in cream (2 cups).
- Add cream cheese cubes (4 ounces), grated parmesan (1/4 cup), and sun-dried tomatoes (3/4 cup) and simmer until cream cheese has melted. Add cooked chicken and pasta to skillet toss to evenly combine. Sprinkle fresh basil (1/3 cup) over pasta. Scoop into individual serving bowl, pass extra parmesan, and serve!
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Chicken: This recipe is simple and easy. Be careful not to overcook the chicken since chicken breast can be dry.
- Too Spicy? You may omit the red pepper flakes.
- No Alcohol: If sensitive to alcohol, you can substitute it with chicken broth. That said, the white wine adds more flavor than the chicken broth.
- Shred It: Using freshly grated parmesan cheese will lend ultimate texture and flavor. However, if you have pre-grated, it’s okay to use it. I would suggest avoiding pre-shredded though. It won’t melt well.
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta With Spinach: This recipe is delicious with spinach. Just add a handful or so to the skillet when the chicken is added.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 904kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 1301mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1870IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 4mg
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My wife made this for me, I think I wanna marry her again! We loved it.
Thanks for this recipe.
That is so sweeeet! We’re happy you both loved this as much as we do. Thanks for the positive feedback and the 5 star rating 🙂
Why does it say reserve 1 cup pasta water and not say to use it anywhere that I see?
Hi Jonathan. Thanks for asking. I should have removed that from the recipe. As a matter of course, when I’m writing a recipe, I reserve pasta water. I didn’t feel it was needed so I removed it from the recipe card. I left a note in the tips because it’s always great to have on hand. Its the perfect thing to have on hand to thin and or extend the sauce as the pasta sits.
Excellent dish. Made half a recipe for the two of us.
Will make this many times again. Easy but delicious.
Just be sure to have everything ready to go.
Hey, b! Yaaay, we’re glad you like this recipe 🙂 Thanks for the positive feedback and 5 star rating 🙂