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Marry me chicken pasta combines all the delicious flavors of our reader-favorite Marry Me Chicken… in a pasta dish! My husband’s very favorite iteration of this viral recipe, there’s so much to love about the magical combination of Parmesan, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, tender chicken, and al dente penne. If you get a proposal out of this recipe, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
If you’re a fan of our Marry Me Chicken recipe, you can already imagine how incredible this pasta version is. Feel free to scroll right on down to the recipe card. If you’re new to all-things-marry-me, though, WELCOME, and prepare to be swept off your feet!
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This marry me chicken pasta recipe has every single delicious thing you love from the original chicken dish, but it adds a pound of tender al dente penne pasta to put the whole recipe over the top. That pasta is smothered in an incredible, rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce – and that’s not an exaggeration. There’s so much delectable flavor in such a simple sauce, it’s almost too good to be true.
- This dish is somehow even easier than the original! We cut out all the oven steps, making this a super quick, super simple stovetop recipe that’s perfect for even the busiest of weeknights. I still recommend a cast-iron skillet because of that beautiful sear they give, but absolutely any skillet will work!
- Our marry me chicken recipe with pasta is made with whole food ingredients that actually matter – we’re talking real parmesan (not the powdered stuff), quality chicken breasts, and sun-dried tomatoes packed with actual flavor. The cornstarch coating creates an incredible golden crust on the chicken that seals in all the juices, while the fresh herbs bring brightness to every single bite.
More Ways to Enjoy Marry Me Chicken
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Ever had a cream sauce that just refuses to be smooth, no matter what you do? You most likely added your dairy products while they were too cold! If the heavy cream or parmesan is cold or even too cool, when you add them to hot liquid in a hot skillet, the temperature shock will make them seize, clump, or curdle. That’s why we always specify that your dairy products need to be at room temperature. Make sure you move the skillet off the heat and let it cool a little before adding any dairy products, too.
- We made our marry me chicken and pasta with chicken breasts, but you can totally use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer them. With chicken breasts, I slice mine into thin cutlets. That way, they cook faster and more evenly. Whatever you decide to use, make sure all the pieces are roughly the same size and thickness. If they differ drastically, they’ll cook at different rates. Way more likely you’ll end up with pieces that are overcooked while others are undercooked!
- Freshly grated Parmesan makes all the difference here! The pre-grated stuff contains anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting (and doesn’t taste the same). Stick to a block of Parmesan and your sauce will be silky smooth and taste infinitely better—I promise!
Recipe Variations
Make it lighter: Substitute half-and-half for heavy cream and reduce the amount of Parmesan slightly. You’ll still get that creamy texture with fewer calories.
Add veggies: Spinach, roasted red peppers, or steamed broccoli all work beautifully stirred in during the last few minutes to give more nutritional punch.
Protein swaps: This sauce is incredible with salmon, shrimp, or even Italian sausage instead of chicken (yum!!).
More Amazing Pasta Dishes
- Greek Chicken Skillet with Orzo, Feta, and Spinach
- Lasagna Soup
- Tomato Florentine Soup
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- Creamy Rotel Pasta with Ground Beef
- Paleo Carbonara with Palmini
- Buffalo Chicken Alfredo
- Escarole Soup
- Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo With Grilled Chicken
- Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Ground Beef Alfredo
- Very Favorite Stir Fry Noodles (with Tofu or Chicken)
- Instant Pot Chicken and Noodles
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
This is the best marry me chicken pasta recipe ever! It combines our reader-favorite Marry Me Chicken with tender penne in a rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce that's ready quickly.
servings
Equipment
- Large, heavy-bottomed pot
- Large wooden spoon
- colander
- Cutting board
- Sharp chef's knife
- Large cast-iron skillet (or any skillet will work)
- Tongs
- Large plate
- whisk
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- salt table salt or fine sea salt
- 2½ cups dried penne pasta (10 oz) uncooked
For the Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- lots of salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil
For the Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
- ¼ cup butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic peeled, minced
- 1½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream at or close to room temperature
- 1 cup grated fresh parmesan at room temperature, see Notes
- ⅔ cup julienned or chopped sun-dried tomato see Notes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes more or less to taste, see Notes
- 2 tablespoons chiffonaded fresh basil see Notes
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- grated fresh Parmesan
- crushed red pepper flakes
- chiffonaded fresh basil
Instructions
For the Pasta
- Cook 2½ cups dried penne pasta according to package directions in heavily salted water, reserving 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- Drain and set aside.
For the Chicken
- While pasta boils, toss 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts with lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper, and 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
- Heat 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Gently place chicken breasts in skillet and sear 2 to 4 minutes or until bottoms of chicken breasts are lightly golden.
- Flip chicken breasts over and sear other side 2 to 4 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer chicken breasts from skillet to cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces.
For the Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
- Cool skillet for 1-2 minutes, then return to low heat and add ¼ cup butter. Once butter melts, add 2-3 minced garlic cloves and sauté 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom, and simmer on low until reduced by about ¼.
- Move skillet to a cool burner for 30-60 seconds. Slowly whisk in 1 cup heavy cream into the reduction.
- Gradually whisk in 1 cup grated fresh Parmesan until melted and incorporated. Return skillet to low heat. Whisk gently for about 1 minute until heated through.
- Stir in ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings. If the sauce is too thin, stir in 1 tablespoon of reserved pasta water and simmer for 1-2 minutes; repeat if needed.
For the Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Stir in cooked pasta, cooked chicken, and 2 tablespoons chiffonaded fresh basil; toss to coat in sauce.
- Transfer to serving bowls and top with additional basil and/or parmesan as desired.
Skillet: If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, any skillet will do.
Chicken Breasts: I prefer to use thinly-cut chicken breasts or chicken cutlets. Whatever you use, make sure they’re roughly the same size and thickness – that way they’ll cook at the same rate.
Dairy Products: To keep the heavy cream and parmesan from seizing, clumping, or curdling, make sure they’re room temperature before adding them to any hot liquid. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly to lessen the temperature difference.
Parmesan Cheese: For the best results, buy a block of fresh parm and grate it yourself. Prepackaged grated cheese contains starches and fillers to prevent clumping, which also keep the cheese from melting smoothly.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: The ones packed in oil are my favorite – you can add a little of the oil to the sauce for more flavor. Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes will work fine, though.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Some readers prefer to omit these entirely, especially if they’re cooking for kids. I don’t find that they make the dish hot or spicy, but do what works best for you, whether that’s reducing the amount slightly or leaving them out altogether!
Make it Keto: Replace pasta with zucchini noodles, shirataki noodles, or cauliflower rice.
Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta (check that chicken broth is GF certified), and the rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
Make it Dairy-Free: Substitute coconut cream for heavy cream, use nutritional yeast or dairy-free parmesan, and replace butter with olive oil.
Make it Vegetarian: Replace chicken with mushrooms (Portobello is meaty), cauliflower, or plant-based protein. Keep all the dairy components!
Storage: Best served immediately. Leftovers keep 3-4 days refrigerated; reheat gently with a splash of cream or pasta water.
To Chiffonade the Basil
- Stack fresh basil leaves on top of each other.
- Tightly roll the stack lengthwise.
- Use a sharp knife, positioned perpendicular to the roll, to slice the roll into several thin ribbons.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Calories: 481calProtein: 31gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 390mgPotassium: 858mgTotal Carbs: 37gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gNet Carbs: 34gVitamin A: 937IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 205mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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I’m hosting a dinner party for 30 and want to do a pasta buffet can this be a make ahead dish served in a chaffing dish?
We didn’t test it that way but I think it would be fine, with some adjustments!
Depending on how long it needs to be in the chafing dish, you may want to cook the pasta to just under al dente (maybe 2 minutes shy?) to lessen the odds of it overcooking in the chafing dish. Be careful, too, not to overcook the chicken on the stovetop for that same reason.
You may also want to increase the amount of sauce you make by 1.5 or so – more sauce makes it less likely that the pasta will dry out as it sits in the dish. There will also be some reduction as the pasta sits in the chafing dish, so the additional sauce can help offset that.
Lastly, I would prepare everything as close to the time you intend to serve it as you can. Combine the warm pasta and warm sauce either in the chafing dish or just before putting the food in the chafing dish. Since it’s a cream sauce, stir the pasta every so often while it sits in the dish so the sauce doesn’t overheat, burn, or separate.
Since it contains both poultry and dairy, be mindful of the holding temperature and how long the dish sits out. Food safety is important!
Of course, all of this assumes you’ll be using typical home kitchen equipment rather than anything commercial, but regardless, I hope it helps! Please let us know how it turns out!
Thank you so much!!! Good tips!!!
Would this be a good recipe to use chopped rotisserie chicken or would that really change the flavor?
If the rotisserie chicken was seasoned or marinated in something with a strong opposing flavor, like salsa or taco seasoning, I wouldn’t use it here. Otherwise, it would be a great option!