If you're looking for an easy, comforting skillet meal to make any night of the week then this marry me chicken pasta is it! A creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with spinach and Parmesan cheese coats tender chicken and al dente rigatoni pasta.
It's the perfect one-pot meal the whole family will love, and the best news is that it's ready in a jiffy!
Pasta is the ultimate comfort food, and this simple one pot pasta recipe is exactly that. You may have heard of Marry Me Chicken--it's a recipe that went viral--I decided to combine those flavors with pasta for an easy all-in-one skillet dinner.
Whether you're craving something cozy and creamy on a cold day or you need a quick dinner on busy weeknights, this creamy chicken pasta dish covers all the bases. And, since it's made in one skillet, you'll have little to cleanup afterwards. Now that's a win in my book!
Looking for other delicious recipes to try after you've made this one? If you love "marry me" recipes, then check out this marry me chicken soup. You'll also want to be sure to make my browned butter butternut squash ravioli and my meaty sausage and beef lasagna.
For a great gluten-free pasta dish, you'll love this gluten-free baked ziti. If it's comfort food you're craving, then I know you'll love my chicken pot pie with biscuits and my Newk's loaded potato soup recipes. Now, are you ready to make this easy chicken pasta recipe? Let's do it!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:
- rigatoni
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil
- fresh garlic
- dry white wine
- sun-dried tomatoes
- heavy cream
- paprika
- Italian seasoning
- fresh baby spinach
- Parmesan cheese
- fresh basil
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, cook the pasta to al dente. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken in hot oil in a skillet until golden brown on all sides. Remove from the skillet.
- Then, add the minced garlic to the drippings in the skillet and cook for 30 minutes until fragrant. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the white wine.
- Next, add the sundried tomatoes, cream, paprika, and Italian seasoning and cook until thickened. Stir in the spinach and half of the cheese.
- Finally, add the cooked pasta and chicken and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and garnish with basil before serving.
Hint: Dried Italian seasoning is a blend of dried oregano, basil, oregano, thyme, and marjoram. If you don't have the seasoning blend, use a combination of the dried herbs you do have.
Substitutions
Need to make some ingredient changes? Here are some suggestions:
- Pasta - Instead of rigatoni, use your favorite pasta shape. Penne pasta, bowtie, linguine, and spaghetti are all excellent options.
- Chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are so versatile, which is why I use them in this recipe. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead or stir in shredded rotisserie chicken at the end if you prefer.
- Heavy cream - Instead of heavy cream, you can use regular whipping cream. It may just take a little bit longer to thicken. For a lighter version you can also use half-and-half mixed with about 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.
Variations
Here are some more ways to change up this recipe:
- Spicy - Add some crushed red pepper flakes along with the garlic when you sauté it to give this pasta dish a little pep.
- Smoky - Use smoked paprika instead of regular sweet paprika to give this dish a smoky flavor.
- Bacon - Everything's better with bacon, right? Cook a couple of strips of bacon until browned and crispy then brown the chicken in the bacon drippings instead of olive oil. Stir the cooked bacon in at the end when you add the cooked chicken and al dente pasta to the flavorful sauce.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need for this recipe:
- measuring spoons
- liquid measuring cup
- dry measuring cup
- chef's knife
- large pasta pot
- colander
- cheese grater
- large deep skillet
- wooden spoon
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Technically you can freeze leftovers, but it may not be as good if the leftovers were refrigerated.
Tasty Tip
Reserve some of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Add a little at a time to the pasta if the sauce becomes too thick.
Frequently asked questions
The viral Marry Me Chicken recipe is said to be so delicious that after one bite, it'll result in a marriage proposal.
This Tuscan-flavored skillet chicken dish is a combination of sundried tomatoes, chicken, and seasonings in a creamy sauce.
First, make sure you have plenty of water and that it's heavily salted. Once it's boiling, then add your pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender but still has a little bit of a bite to it.
Yep! Sundried tomato pesto is a great option instead of julienned sundried tomatoes
You can use either. For this recipe, I use sundried tomatoes in oil and drain away the oil.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Marry Me Chicken Pasta:
🍽Get the recipe
Marry Me Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- liquid measuring cup
- dry measuring cup
- chef's knife
- large pasta pot
- colander
- cheese grater
- large deep skillet
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
- 1 cup drained oil-packed julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, in batches, until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet, reserving the drippings.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, cream, paprika, and Italian seasoning to the skillet and cook until thickened. Stir in the spinach and ½ cup of the cheese. Simmer just until the spinach wilts.
- Add the pasta and the browned chicken and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and garnish with the basil before serving.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Cook the chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Christine B. says
It's an hour after dinner, the leftovers are put away, and I'm STILL raving about this dish. It's quick and absolutely delicious.
AshleyFreeman says
Christine!! Oh my goodness--thank you so much for your note. I'm so glad you loved it!!
Juyali says
A yummy meal in under 30 minutes. Sign me up! 🙂 Seriously, so much flavor and so easy to make. I love these types of meals. Thanks for another great recipe!
AshleyFreeman says
I'm with you--30 minute meals are a lifesaver!
Elizabeth says
This was amazing! My family loved it and we can't wait to make it again.
AshleyFreeman says
Hooray! That makes me so happy 🙂
carmy says
This Marry Me Chicken Pasta is seriously delicious! The creamy sauce with the chicken are a perfect combo. This is totally becoming a go-to weeknight favorite!
AshleyFreeman says
Woohoo! That's what I love to hear, Carmy!
Nicole Kendrick says
This is one of the best marry me chicken recipes I've made. I love how rich and creamy it is. There's just the right amount of sauce, too, so everything is nicely coated.
AshleyFreeman says
Wow! Thanks so much Nicole. So glad you enjoyed it!
Liz says
SO delicious!!! This was perfect for a weeknight dinner and my family devoured it.
AshleyFreeman says
Hooray! That's what I love to hear!