Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Whether you’re cooking for someone special on date night or just treating yourself, Marry Me Chicken Pasta is a surefire way to bring smiles to the table.
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Social media lore claims that if you make this dish for your love interest, they will proclaim their undying love and devotion at first bite, and a marriage proposal will be forthcoming. If you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Kansas to sell you.
The truth? The name “Marry Me Chicken,” coined for Lindsay Funston’s 2016 recipe on the website Delish, came about by chance. After tasting the skillet chicken dish made with sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and cream, Funston’s video producer exclaimed, “I’d marry you for that chicken!” according to The New York Times. It was an unplanned moment of delight that inspired the now-famous name.
The night I first served the pasta version to my family, my husband and I had already been happily married for 18 years. No proposal of marriage for me. But, he and both my kids did give it a unanimous thumbs up.
Ingredients and tools you will need
To make this Marry Me Chicken pasta recipe, you will need:
- 1 (16-ounce) box of fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock – store-bought or check out my post for making homemade chicken stock.
- 1/2 cup dry white wine – Pinot grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, or dry Sherry are good options.
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons, for garnish, optional
- Large stock pot
- Colander
How to make Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Cook the fettuccine in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the fettuccine. Set the pasta aside.
- Return the pot to the burner and heat the oil over medium heat.
- Season the cut chicken breasts with the salt and pepper.
- Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken pieces to the pot. Don’t overcrowd the pot. You may need to cook the chicken in batches. Saute until the chicken is browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, about 7-10 minutes. Set the seared chicken pieces aside.
- In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. Cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and wine. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes until the liquid begins to thicken.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Return the cooked chicken to the pot along with the pasta. Stir until the chicken and pasta are coated with the cream sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a little of the reserved pasta water.
- Garnish the top of the pasta with a sprinkling of fresh basil.
Storage and reheating instructions
Storage. Allow any leftover chicken pasta to come to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Consume within four days.
Reheating. If you’re in a hurry, you can reheat individual servings of Marry Me Pasta for a minute or two in the microwave. If you’re reheating several servings, I recommend dumping everything back into a large pot. Heat over low heat and add 1/4-1/2 cup of additional heavy cream as needed. Reheat for about ten minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the dish is heated through.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can certainly use any type of pasta you want, but I recommend a thicker noodle that will hold up well to the heavy, creamy sauce, such as penne pasta, bowtie, rigatoni, or fusilli.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs would also work well in this dish.
You can. Substitute the wine for additional chicken stock.
Yes, with modifications. Season the chicken and brown it in a skillet with oil. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Add the garlic, chicken stock, white wine, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook on low for 1 1/2 hours until the chicken is cooked through. Push the chicken to the side and add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water. Stir the cornstarch into the chicken mixture. Replace the lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened. While the sauce is thickening, cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the slow cooker just before serving and stir to coat the pasta with the sauce.
Yes, with modifications. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the Instant Pot using the SAUTE function. Brown the chicken in the oil until it’s cooked through. Turn off the SAUTE function. Add the garlic, chicken stock, white wine, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Secure the lid, select MANUAL and set the timer for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water. Stir the cornstarch into the chicken mixture. Select the SAUTE function again and simmer until the sauce has thickened. While the sauce is thickening, cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the Instant Pot just before serving and stir to coat the pasta with the sauce.
Sorry, because of the cream sauce, this dish does not freeze well.
Serve this easy pasta recipe with
More pasta recipes
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) box of fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves cut into ribbons, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cook the fettuccine in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the fettuccine. Set the pasta aside.
- Return the pot to the burner and heat the oil over medium heat.
- Season the cut chicken breasts with the salt and pepper.
- Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken pieces to the pot. Don’t overcrowd the pot. You may need to cook the chicken in batches. Saute until the chicken is browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, about 7-10 minutes. Set the seared chicken pieces aside.
- In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. Cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and wine. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes until the liquid begins to thicken.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Return the cooked chicken to the pot along with the pasta. Stir until the chicken and pasta are coated with the cream sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a little of the reserved pasta water.
- Garnish the top of the pasta with a sprinkling of fresh basil.
Have a question? Leave a comment.