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–+ servings
A large silver skillet of penne pasta in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce with chicken and basil.

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

40aprons.com/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.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 8 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)

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.

Recipe Notes

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

  1. Stack fresh basil leaves on top of each other.
  2. Tightly roll the stack lengthwise.
  3. Use a sharp knife, positioned perpendicular to the roll, to slice the roll into several thin ribbons.

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Calories: 481calProtein: 31gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 390mgPotassium: 858mgTotal Carbs: 37gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gNet Carbs: 34gVitamin A: 937IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 205mgIron: 2mg
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
https://40aprons.com/marry-me-chicken-pasta/