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It really is true that Marry Me chicken is made so much better with the addition of pasta. This Marry Me Chicken Pasta has juicy chicken in a creamy garlic and sun-dried tomato sauce, tossed with penne, Parmesan, and spinach for a full meal in 30 minutes. Yes, it really is that good.
Table of Contents
The marry me chicken recipe is a creamy sauce with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, so what better to add to it than pasta? The sauce is so tasty but so simple, coming together in one pan, and then you just need one other pan to cook the pasta. That’s it.
The other great part of this recipe is the addition of spinach in the sauce. It wilts down a lot, but you know that this dinner does have a few greens in it too. I think it makes a great weeknight supper, and it’s definitely one that everyone around the table will love.
Why you’ll love the recipe
- Delicious outcome with minimal effort.
- Fewer dishes – one pan for the sauce and one to boil the pasta.
- It takes 30 minutes to make, which makes it a great weeknight option.
- It’s easy to make substitutions/variations (see below) so you can use up things in the fridge.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – Chicken thighs would also work.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – For this recipe, I prefer the ones in the jar rather than the fresh ones in the deli section. They are so sweet but tangy; I really love sun-dried tomatoes.
- Tomato paste (tomato purée) – I like double-concentrated tomato paste here. It adds a rich tomato note to the sauce without the need for a can of tomatoes.
- Spinach – Regular spinach or baby leaf is great. It’s a good one to use up the wilting handful in the fridge. For a hack, if you have spinach going bad in the fridge and aren’t sure when you may next use it, pop the bag in the freezer. Then when you want to use it, add a handful, and it wilts down immediately.
Substitutions and variations
Sun-dried tomatoes: This would also work without the sun-dried tomatoes, but they are a great addition. You could swap for roasted red peppers (char-grilled peppers) from a jar, or fresh cherry tomatoes would be good too in the summer months.
Heavy (double) cream: You could also use any other cream-based product in the fridge. Since the recipe uses cooking water (or chicken stock), adding a healthy dollop of crème fraîche, mascarpone, or cream cheese would make a good sauce. Light (single) cream or a dairy-free ‘cream’ would work as well.
Spinach: Spinach is easy here as you just throw in a handful at the end to wilt down, but try adding broccoli, zucchini (courgette), eggplant (aubergine), or even kale earlier to the recipe so it has time to cook down. I would add any extra veggie into the pan alongside the garlic. Kale or lacinato kale (cavolo nero) could replace the spinach, too.
How to make delicious marry me chicken pasta
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: While the pasta is cooking, take a large, deep frying pan and add the olive oil. Once it’s hot, add the chopped chicken. Season well and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the pan.
TWO: Reduce the heat and then, in the same pan you cooked the chicken in, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before adding the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, and paprika. Cook for a few minutes to allow the sun-dried tomatoes to soften.
THREE: Pour in the heavy (double) cream and the pasta cooking water, tossing well, and allow to bubble for a few minutes so the cream can thicken.
FOUR: Add the chicken and the cooked pasta to the sauce along with the spinach and stir well. After a minute, the spinach should have wilted, and the pasta will be perfectly cooked. Add more pasta cooking water if you think it needs it – it should be loose and glossy, not stodgy.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- How to store basil: Store any leftover basil this way to keep it alive and strong for a good week. Slice the ends off the basil stalks and place in a small glass or mug in around 1/2 inch (1 cm) of water. Take a clean zip-top bag and cover the basil with it, pulling the bag down the glass. Then seal the bag around the glass/mug. Leave at room temperature.
- Cooking the chicken: Since it’s chopped up, the chicken won’t take long to cook through, and you don’t want to overcook it either. Don’t be afraid to cut a piece in half while it’s cooking to see how done it is. Once it’s all mixed into the sauce, no one will know.
Frequently asked questions
The name “Marry Me Chicken” came from a viral TikTok that walked us all through a chicken recipe that was so good, anyone who ate it would ask you to marry them. Yes, it really is that good. I’ve made it with pasta here to make it a full meal, hence the name!
Yes. Swap it for crème fraîche, mascarpone, or cream cheese, loosened with a little extra pasta water, or use light (single) cream. For a dairy-free version, see below.
You can! I would omit the chicken (or swap for a plant-based alternative) and then make the sauce with dairy-free cream and cheese. If using stock rather than pasta water, make it vegetable stock.
You can keep it covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
You can reheat this just fine. It’s never quite as good as when freshly made, but it works. I always add a splash of water to the bowl with the cold pasta before heating it in the microwave or on the stove on medium heat, until piping hot. The water loosens the sauce up a bit and returns it to its loose, glossy form rather than stodgy. You could also add a splash of cream.
I don’t love freezing it as the pasta and the creamy sauce can develop a weird texture when defrosted. It only takes 30 minutes, so it’s a quick one anyway!
I wouldn’t recommend it as it’s best fresh due to the cream content. It’s very quick though, so it won’t take you long to make. If really needed, you could make the sauce from step 2 to step 4, adding the heavy (double) cream and not the pasta water. Cool and transfer to a container. Place in fridge for up to a day. When ready to use, place back in a frying pan, boil pasta, add pasta water as instructed, and continue from there.
Other weeknight pastas to try
Pasta is something I never tire of. Try this Pistachio Pesto Pasta, Penne Amatriciana, or Pasta al Pesto for pesto pasta ideas. My Greek Pasta Salad with Orzo is another must-try. Otherwise, this Pasta with Sausages and Nduja is spicy, smoky, and creamy. Finally, if you just want another weeknight chicken pasta, you cannot go wrong with this Creamy Chicken Pasta.
Easy Pasta Recipes
Penne Amatriciana
Easy Pasta Recipes
How to Make Homemade Triangoli Pasta
Easy Pasta Recipes
How to Make Homemade Garganelli Pasta
Easy Pasta Recipes
Tomato Butter Pasta
If you tried this Marry Me Chicken Pasta or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz/400 g), cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 5.25 oz sun-dried tomatoes, about 1 cup; drained and sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (tomato purée)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 8 oz dried pasta, I like penne for this but any pasta shape will work
- 5 fl oz pasta cooking water, or chicken stock; about scant 2/3 cup
- 8.5 fl oz heavy cream (double cream), about generous 1 cup
- 2 oz Parmesan, grated; about 2/3 cup
- 2 oz spinach, about 2 cups packed
- Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) and black pepper
- Handful of basil leaves
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. You want it to still have quite a bit of a bite as you finish cooking it in the sauce.
- While the pasta is cooking, take a large, deep frying pan and add the olive oil. Once it’s hot, add the chopped chicken. Season well and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the pan.
- Reduce the heat and then, in the same pan you cooked the chicken in, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before adding the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, and paprika. Cook for a few minutes to allow the sun-dried tomatoes to soften.
- Pour in the heavy (double) cream and the pasta cooking water, tossing well and allowing it to bubble for a few minutes so the cream can thicken.
- Add the chicken and the cooked pasta to the sauce along with the spinach and stir well. After a minute, the spinach should have wilted, and the pasta will be perfectly cooked. Add more pasta cooking water if you think it needs it – it should be loose and glossy, not stodgy.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan and basil leaves. Scoop into bowls, top with more Parmesan, fresh basil leaves, fresh black pepper, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
To store: You can keep it covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. To reheat: It’s never quite as good as when freshly made, but it works. I always add a tiny splash of water to the bowl with the cold pasta before heating it in the microwave or on the stove on medium heat, until piping hot. The water loosens the sauce up a bit and returns it to its loose, glossy form rather than stodgy. You could also add a splash of cream. To freeze: I don’t love freezing it as the pasta and the creamy sauce can develop a weird texture when defrosted. It only takes 30 minutes, so it’s a quick one anyway! Make ahead: I wouldn’t recommend making this ahead as it’s best fresh due to the cream content. It’s very quick, though, so it won’t take you long to make. If really needed, you could make the sauce from step 2 to step 4, adding the cream and not the pasta water. Cool and transfer to a container. Place in the fridge for up to a day. When ready to use, place back in a frying pan, boil pasta, add pasta water as instructed, and continue from there.More quick tips
- Heat: If you like a bit of heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes alongside the oregano and paprika.
- Make dairy-free/vegan: Omit the chicken (or swap for a plant-based alternative) and then make the sauce with dairy-free cream and cheese. If using stock rather than pasta water, make it vegetable stock.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was a lovely, I will definitely make again.