Marry Me Chicken Pasta

This Marry Me Chicken Pasta recipe brings together tender chicken, a creamy, flavorful sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta in a combination that feels both indulgent and comforting. It's the kind of recipe that wins over anyone who takes a bite and is irresistibly good. With a blend of rich ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and Italian Seasoning, this dish offers a restaurant-quality meal that's easy to make.

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You will also love my Marry Me Salmon and Marry Me Chicken Soup recipes.

Brandi's Key Ingredients

Why It's Called Marry Me

Marry Me Chicken Pasta gets its name because the dish is so flavorful, rich, and irresistible that it's said to be "good enough to inspire a marriage proposal." The creamy, savory sauce combined with tender, juicy chicken creates such an impressive and comforting meal that some say it could win over anyone's heart.

The idea behind the name is that this dish is a "showstopper" recipe—perfect for impressing someone special, especially on a romantic date or special occasion. Its combination of creamy sauce, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and herbs, tossed with pasta and juicy chicken, creates a luxurious meal that's comforting, decadent, and perfect for sharing.

What Type of Chicken to Use

The best type of chicken to use is boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Both work well. I use chicken thighs because they have more flavor. You can also use fully cooked rotisserie chicken.

Chicken breasts are leaner and cook quickly, which is ideal if you're aiming for a lighter dish. Chicken thighs are more flavorful and forgiving if overcooked, making them a great choice if you prefer richer, more succulent chicken. Thighs add more depth to the dish because of their higher fat content.

What Type of Pasta to Use

You’ll want to choose a pasta that pairs well with the creamy, rich sauce and holds up to the tender chicken. I use malfaldine/mafaldini. It's a ribbon-shaped pasta with ruffled edges on both sides. It is flat and similar in width to fettuccine. The edges are excellent for catching and holding onto sauces, making it a versatile choice for creamy or chunky sauces.

Here are more options:

• Fettuccine: This wide, flat pasta is perfect for soaking up creamy sauces and provides a satisfying texture with the chicken.
• Pappardelle: Similar to fettuccine but even wider, pappardelle creates a hearty dish and works wonderfully with rich sauces.
• Penne: The ridged, tube-like shape of penne is ideal for trapping the sauce inside, ensuring each bite is full of flavor.
• Tagliatelle: Another ribbon-like pasta, tagliatelle works well if you want a slightly thinner option than fettuccine or pappardelle.
• Rigatoni: These large, ridged tubes can hold plenty of sauce, and their robust shape complements the chunks of chicken nicely.

Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

For best results I recommend you use the cheese labeled Parmesan Reggiano. It comes in a block and you grate it (this doesn't take long). It adds a richer, more complex flavor compared to regular parmesan. Parmigiano-Reggiano, often called the "King of Cheeses," is an Italian cheese that’s aged longer (usually 12 to 36 months), which gives it a deeper, nuttier, and more savory flavor.

Parmigiano-Reggiano has a granular texture that melts smoothly into the sauce, creating a silkier consistency. This contrasts with regular parmesan, which is drier or less refined in texture, affecting the creaminess of the dish.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a protected designation of origin (PDO) product, meaning it’s made using traditional methods and strict quality standards in specific regions of Italy. Regular parmesan, especially pre-grated varieties, can be mass-produced with fewer regulations, resulting in less flavor and a more generic taste.

How to Make Marry Me Chicken Pasta

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Place a pan or pot on the stove at medium heat. Add olive oil, diced chicken, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
2. Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes until the chicken has seared on both sides. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
3. Adjust the heat on the pan/pot to medium-high and add broth, heavy cream, garlic, sundried tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot.
4. Once the mixture begins to boil and bubble add in the pasta.
5. Once the pasta has wilted and is fully covered in the sauce, adjust the heat to low and cover the pot.
6. Simmer until the pasta is al dente.
7. Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and spinach. Fold to combine and toss in the chicken.

Do You Break the Pasta in Half

You don't need to. It will shrink down as it cooks. Long strands of pasta are so much better than short ones. I wouldn't break it.

Quick Method: No Boiling the Pasta

I love to use a no-boil pasta method in this recipe! Feel free to boil your pasta first if that’s what you would like to do. This method allows me to cook the pasta directly in the Tuscan-style sauce.

The method I use in this recipe results in only needing one pot to accomplish it all. You will combine the pasta sauce ingredients in your pan or pot and then add in your pasta and allow your pasta and sauce to simmer until the pasta is tender.

This method allows to sauce to penetrate the pasta as it cooks and also results in immense flavor.

What Type of Pan/Pot to Use

To keep this a one-pot recipe, you'll want to use a versatile pot or pan that can handle multiple cooking tasks like searing and simmering. It also needs to be large enough to hold all of the ingredients. I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet with a lid.

You can also use a large deep skillet or saute pan with lid or a Dutch oven. Dutch ovens are great for one-pot recipes because they retain heat evenly and have high sides for holding liquid. You can easily sear the chicken, then simmer the sauce and cook the pasta all in the same pot.

Substitutions and Add-Ins Ideas

• Shrimp
• Crab
• Lobster
• Bacon
• Salmon
• Mushrooms
• Roasted Red Peppers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Capers
• Olives
• Basil
• Parsley
• White Wine

How to Store

Leftovers can be stored tightly covered and sealed in the fridge for 3-4 days.

How to Reheat

Reheating the sauce can be challenging because it may break or become clumpy if it’s not reheated properly. The cream sauce thickens as it cools, especially depending on the type of pasta you use. If you want a creamy texture for your leftovers you will need to add broth, cream, or milk to adjust the consistency when reheating.

I use broth because that won't add many calories or much fat to the already prepared dish. If you know you like it super creamy, reheat it with cream or milk.

Heat the leftovers gently while stirring, and gradually add a small amount of cream to bring it back to the desired consistency. Continue to stir until it’s smooth.

The best way to reheat is on the stove at medium-high heat. Constantly stir until warm.

You can use the microwave but with caution. Use short intervals like 15 to 30 seconds at a time. Overheating will cause the dish to dry out.

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Chicken Mac and Cheese
Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast
White Lasagna Soup