Crafted only using pantry staples, this Marry Me chicken pasta recipe is one you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again. Loaded with flavor and super versatile, this is one easy recipe the entire family will love.
Ready to go ahead and give it a shot? Here’s all you need to know about making it the right way.
Jump to:
Ingredients For the Marry Me Chicken Pasta Recipe
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lbs chicken breast, sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free, use gluten free brown rice pasta)
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup reserved cooked pasta water or more
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
How to Make the Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you need to do to put the dish together.
In a large skillet, sauté garlic from oil in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 1 minute on medium heat until the garlic is fragrant.
Add sliced chicken with salt and cook on high heat for 1 minute on each side.
Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces and add them to the skillet with chicken. Then add paprika, heavy cream and milk.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Remember to reserve some cooked pasta water.
Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the mozzarella cheese and bring to a gentle boil.
Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts and creamy sauce forms.
Then add 1 tablespoon of basil, and oregano.
If the creamy sauce is too thick, add about ½ cup of reserved cooked pasta water to the skillet to thin it out. Do not add all of the pasta water at once - you might need less or more of it.
Season the chicken pasta with salt and more red pepper flakes, to taste, if needed. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine.
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s a lot you can add to this versatile and flavorful Marry Me chicken pasta. To make it more nutritious and healthy, you can add some chopped veggies of your choice. Broccoli, zucchini, baby corn, carrots and green beans are all good choices.
You can also add mushrooms, kale, spinach and other greens if you really want to experiment.
You don’t necessarily need to stick to using penne pasta- pretty much any pasta should work just as fine. Spaghetti, fettuccine and macaroni are some other good choices you can consider.
Got some leftover Marry Me chicken pasta? You can store it for later too! Just transfer everything to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Remember to reheat it in the microwave for best results. If you really want to use the stovetop, make sure you add a bit of water to loosen it up.
Tips to Make the Creamy Chicken Pasta
While making this flavorful pasta is super easy, you might want to keep these additional tips and tricks handy.
Remember not to overcook the pasta. It should be just about done.
To lend the pasta a little kick of heat, top it with a bit of chili oil right before you serve.
Reserving the pasta water is super important. You could use regular water, but the pasta water contains starch, which helps the sauce coat every bit of the pasta nicely- just the way you want it to.
Don’t forget to top the pasta with a generous sprinkle of freshly chopped herbs.
Another great idea is to add some of your garlic tomato confit into the mix, or serve them as a side.
You can also add some homemade garlic bread seasoning into the mix for some extra flavor.
Want to cut down on the fat and make this pasta healthier? Use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream.
To lend the pasta a bit of extra creaminess and flavor, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on the top.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This flavorful and delicious Marry Me chicken pasta tastes fantastic on its own.
If you really want to go the extra mile, you can team it up with some crusty garlic bread on the side, or have a nice crunchy salad to go with it to turn it all into a filling meal.
I also love pairing it with some Italian pan fried tomatoes or Italian sweet roasted peppers.
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 pcs garlic cloves (minced)
- 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast (sliced)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free, use gluten free brown rice pasta)
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup reserved cooked pasta water or more
Instructions
- Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you need to do to put the dish together.
- In a large skillet, sauté garlic from oil in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 1 minute on medium heat until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add sliced chicken with salt and cook on high heat for 1 minute on each side.
- Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces and add them to the skillet with chicken. Then add paprika, heavy cream and milk.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Remember to reserve some cooked pasta water.
- Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the mozzarella cheese and bring to a gentle boil.
- Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts and creamy sauce forms.
- Then add 1 tablespoon of basil, and oregano.
- If the creamy sauce is too thick, add about ½ cup of reserved cooked pasta water to the skillet to thin it out. Do not add all of the pasta water at once - you might need less or more of it.
- Season the chicken pasta with salt and more red pepper flakes, to taste, if needed. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes for flavours to combine.
