Marry Me Chicken Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Creamy sun-dried tomato, garlic, spinach, and chicken tossed with pasta, Parmesan, and fresh basil. This Marry Me Chicken Pasta is your next go-to pasta recipe.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Margie Nomura

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

US Customary - Metric

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