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This marry me chicken pasta is creamy, dreamy, and lovely for a romantic date night at home or a cozy dinner party with friends! With seared chicken, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and fresh basil, it’s an easy (almost) one-pot dinner that is lovely with a glass of wine. And it comes together in about 30 minutes, we love to see it.

A stoneware plate with marry me chicken pasta on a beige marble counter next to a wood bowl of pepper flakes, brown bowl of basil, and a glass of white wine.

Hello from the couch where I’m staring at my Christmas tree while writing a Valentine’s Day-ish recipe. I don’t know why I’m like this but it is what it is. Maybe I should just plaster paper hearts all over the tree and push it out for another month?

Also, while we’re on the subject of V-Day, can we just talk about this pasta recipe real quick? I mean, what’s more apropos for a Valentine’s Day recipe than one with ‘marry me’ in the name? Just like reverse sear filet mignon and this cozy braised pork ragù with gnocchi, this is a super simple but always elegant dinner that you can make for two or for a crowd!

I honestly love the entire concept of marry me chicken. The idea that a recipe is so good it could result in a marriage proposal is so extra lol. But, if you are looking for an easy, and delicious, way to say “I love you”, this is a great place to start. The recipe was originally created by Lindsay Funston, the previous editor of Delish. It recently went viral on TikTok but it’s actually been around for a while lol.

The recipe has seared chicken and tender pasta with cheesy, creamy, sun-dried tomato sauce. But as a trained chef, I’ve added a few of my go-to ingredients like white wine, shallots, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning to take it up a notch!

Pick the right pasta

White and brown bowls of pasta, chicken, garlic, basil, salt, sundried tomatoes, cream, shallots, spices, parmesan, and white wine next to cans of tomatoes on a beige counter.

It’s important to use a pasta with lots of nooks and crannies so it soaks up as much sauce as possible. I like rigatoni but penne or ziti would be a good substitute. You’ll also need boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, Morton’s Kosher salt, black pepper, and olive oil.

For the sauce, grab some unsalted butter, shallots, garlic, tomato paste, dry white wine, tomato sauce, heavy cream, chicken bouillon, parmesan, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil. Also, make sure you’re using freshly-grated cheese for the best flavor & melt!

It’s important to use high-quality tomato paste and sauce in this recipe. I’ve tested this recipe with generic tomatoes and the sauce tasted acidic and tinny. High-quality tomatoes will make for a rich, sweet, and balanced sauce. I like Cento, Muir Glen, and Bianco Dinapoli tomatoes!

Sear the chicken

Six steps to searing chicken. In photo 1, chicken breasts on parchment paper. In photo 2, the chicken breasts are tenderized. In photo 3, the chicken has salt and pepper. In photo 4, raw chicken is in a black pan. In photo 5, the chicken is cooked. In photo 6, the chicken is chopped on a wood board.
Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it’s about 1/4-inch thick. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until it’s golden brown and cooked through. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then slice it into strips.

Don’t skip tenderizing the meat! Pounding it into an even thickness makes the chicken more tender and helps it cook more consistently. Otherwise, the chicken could come out tough, dry, and chewy.

Boil the pasta

Two steps to boiling pasta. In photo 1, pasta in boiling water on a tan counter. In photo 2, the pasta is in a white colander.
Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Save about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Once the pasta is ready, drain the rigatoni.

Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than al dente. The rigatoni will finish cooking in the sauce and you don’t want it to over-cook!

Make the sauce

Six steps to making red sauce. In photo 1, shallots are sauteeing in a black pan. In photo 2, tomato paste is in the pan. In photo 3, the pan has white wine in it. In photo 4, the skillet has tomato sauce and cream. In photo 5, the sauce is topped with spices and cheese. In photo 6, the sauce has sun-dried tomatoes in it.
Melt the butter in the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Sauté the shallots, garlic, & tomato paste. Deglaze the pan with the white wine & reduce. Next, add the tomato sauce, heavy cream, chicken bouillon, parmesan, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, oregano, & sun-dried tomatoes.

Here’s a little trick I learned in culinary school for perfect cheese sauce! Let the parmesan sit on top of the sauce for 1 minute before stirring it together. The heat from the sauce will help the cheese slowly melt so it doesn’t turn out grainy.

Assemble the pasta

Three steps to making marry me chicken pasta. In photo 1, pasta sauce is in a black pan with a wood spoon. In photo 2, the sauce is topped with rigatoni, chicken, and basil. In photo 3, the pasta is mixed together.
Once the sauce is done, add the pasta, chicken, and basil. Then, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. Stir everything together until the rigatoni is al dente. Top each serving with parmesan and basil.

The secret to silky sauce is a splash of starchy pasta water! The starch thins out the sauce a bit and helps it stick to the pasta better. It will also emulsify with the fat in the sauce to make it nice and glossy.

Storing & reheating leftovers

Spoon any leftovers into an airtight container. Refrigerate the pasta for up to 5 days.

To reheat the pasta, you have a couple of options. You can always microwave small portions for 1-2 minutes until hot. But I recommend reheating the pasta on the stove! Just mix the leftover creamy garlic parmesan chicken pasta with a small splash of chicken broth in a pan. Then, heat it over medium, stirring often, until the pasta is hot.

A white platter of marry me chicken pasta on a tan marble counter next to plates of pasta, white wine, and a white bowl of basil.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

5 from 2 votes

30-Minute Marry Me Chicken Pasta

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
This marry me chicken pasta is creamy, dreamy, and lovely for a romantic date night at home or a cozy dinner party with friends! With seared chicken, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and fresh basil, it's an easy (almost) one-pot dinner that is lovely with a glass of wine.
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (454 grams)
  • Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil (14 milliliters)
  • 12 ounces rigatoni pasta (340 grams)
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (14 grams)
  • 1/4 cup finely diced shallots (25 grams – 1 small shallot)
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste (32 grams)
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (60 milliliters)
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce (425 milliliters)
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240 milliliters)
  • 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
  • 1/2 cup freshly-grated parmesan, plus more for serving (35 grams)
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained & finely chopped (56 grams)
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving (6 grams)

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet
  • Meat tenderizer

Instructions 

Cook the chicken

  • Place the chicken breasts (or thighs) on a cutting board. Cover the chicken with a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Then, use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to pound the chicken into an even 1/4-inch thickness. Season both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
  • Next, heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it's very hot and shimmering. Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side until it's golden brown. Continue cooking, flipping every 30 seconds or so, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, slice the chicken and set aside.

Boil the pasta

  • Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Pour in the pasta and boil it until it's 1 minute shy of al dente. Use a mug or liquid measuring cup to reserve about 1/2 cup (120 grams) of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta well.

Make the sauce

  • While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in the same cast iron skillet that you cooked the chicken in over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until they're softened, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir the tomato paste into the shallot mixture and cook until it's dark red, about 1 minute.
  • Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Then, pour the tomato sauce and heavy whipping cream into the pan. Stir until smooth and bring the sauce to a very gentle simmer.
  • Add the chicken bouillon, parmesan, a pinch of red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and oregano. Let the parmesan sit for 1 minute and then stir until the cheese is smooth. Stir the sun-dried tomatoes into the sauce.
  • Pour the pasta, chicken, basil, and about 2 Tablespoons (30 grams) of the reserved pasta water into the sauce. Stir for 1 minute, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is glossy. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water, a small splash at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
  • Serve the pasta with freshly-grated parmesan, chopped basil, and extra red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Notes

Don’t skip tenderizing the meat! Pounding it into an even thickness makes the chicken more tender and helps it cook more consistently. Otherwise, the chicken could come out tough, dry, and chewy.
You can use whatever pasta you like, but I like a tube pasta like rigatoni or something with lots of nooks and crannies like farfalle. You want something that will soak up all of that creamy sauce!
Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than al dente. The rigatoni will finish cooking in the sauce and you don’t want it to over-cook!
It’s important to use high-quality tomato paste and sauce in this recipe! I’ve tested this recipe with generic tomatoes and the sauce tasted acidic and tinny. High-quality tomatoes will make for a rich, sweet, and balanced sauce. I like Cento, Muir Glen, and Bianco Dinapoli tomatoes!
Let the parmesan sit on top of the sauce for 1 minute before stirring it together. The heat from the sauce will help the cheese slowly melt so it doesn’t come out clumpy.
Cuisine: American, Italian
Course: Main Course
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 593kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 34.5g, Fat: 33.8g, Saturated Fat: 17.2g, Cholesterol: 166mg, Sodium: 980mg, Potassium: 1078mg, Fiber: 3.9g, Sugar: 7.3g, Calcium: 150mg, Iron: 3mg
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