Simply by Maha
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DinnerMarry Me Chicken Pasta
Italian · Dinner

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

This marry me chicken is rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. The chicken is seasoned and pan-seared until golden, then finished in a creamy Tuscan-style sauce with parmesan, herbs, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. I love serving it with pasta so the sauce doesn’t go to waste.

5.0 (2 reviews)
30m
Prep
30m
Cook
60m
Total
4
Serves
easy
Level
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Instructions

  1. Season the chicken
    In a bowl, combine the chicken with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss well to coat.
  2. Cook the chicken
    Heat an oiled pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Lower the heat and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through in the center. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. Start the sauce
    In the same pan, add the lemon juice and butter. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the minced garlic and cherry tomatoes, then sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Add the cream and broth
    Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth. Whisk everything together and bring to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Finish the sauce
    Add the grated parmesan and whisk again until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  6. Add the herbs and spinach
    Stir in the parsley, basil, and chopped spinach until combined.
  7. Add pasta if using
    If serving with pasta, add your cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat before returning the chicken to the pan.
  8. Add the chicken back
    Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Let everything simmer together for a minute or two.
  9. Serve
    Serve warm with pasta, bread, or however you like.

About this recipe

Marry Me Chicken Pasta is the viral dinner with the bold name, and the legend goes that it's so good it might just earn you a proposal. Whether or not that's true, it absolutely earns its place on the table: tender chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce, all tossed through pasta. It tastes special, but it's a weeknight one-pan dinner at heart.

What makes it sing is the sun-dried tomatoes. They bring a concentrated, tangy sweetness that cuts through the cream, and a spoonful of their oil to sear the chicken builds flavour from the very first step. A little garlic, a handful of parmesan, and fresh basil to finish, and you've got a sauce with real depth, not just richness.

I reach for this when I want to impress without stress, a date-night dinner or a meal for guests that looks like it took far more effort than it did. It comes together in about 30 minutes in a single pan, and it's the kind of plate people remember.

Per serving
  • 690Calories
  • 44gProtein
  • 34gFat
  • 54gCarbs
estimated

Good to know

Why you'll love it

  • Restaurant-worthy flavour from one pan in about 30 minutes.
  • A creamy sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce with real tangy depth.
  • Tender, golden chicken in every bite.
  • Perfect for date night, guests, or an elevated weeknight dinner.
  • Simple ingredients you can mostly keep on hand.
  • Easy to adapt with different pasta, greens, or a touch of heat.

Ingredient notes

Sun-dried tomatoes: the star. Use the jarred kind packed in oil, and sear the chicken in a spoonful of that oil for an instant flavour boost.

Parmesan: grate it fresh so it melts into a smooth, glossy sauce rather than clumping.

Chicken: boneless thighs or breasts both work. Pound breasts even so they stay juicy.

Fresh basil: stirred in at the end, it lifts the whole dish. Don't skip it if you can help it.

Tips & tricks

Sear the chicken in a spoonful of the sun-dried tomato oil for a deeper, built-in flavour from the start.

Save some starchy pasta water to loosen the sauce so it coats every piece without going thick and heavy.

Add the parmesan off the heat and stir until smooth, so it melts in instead of seizing.

A pinch of red pepper flakes balances the richness with gentle warmth, without making it spicy.

Storage & make-ahead

Fridge: store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Reheat: warm gently on the stove with a splash of cream, milk, or pasta water, since the cream sauce thickens once chilled.

Make ahead: the sauce can be made a day ahead and gently reheated, then tossed with freshly cooked pasta.

Variations

Add greens: wilt in baby spinach or stir through steamed broccoli for a complete one-pan meal.

Protein swap: use shrimp or salmon instead of chicken for a quick seafood version.

Spicier: add more red pepper flakes or a spoonful of chilli paste for real heat.

Lighter: use half-and-half in place of heavy cream and lean on parmesan and pasta water for body.

Learn the staples

Master the Italian basics

Guide

The Secret to Crispy Chicken Parm (No More Sogginess)

The real secret to crispy chicken parm is keeping the crust away from the sauce. Here's how I get shatter-crisp chicken parmesan that stays crunchy under the cheese.

Frequently asked questions

The playful name comes from the idea that the dish is so good it might inspire a marriage proposal. It started as Marry Me Chicken, and the pasta version stirs that same creamy sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce through pasta.
Both work well. Thighs stay juicier and are more forgiving, while breasts are leaner. If using breasts, pound them to an even thickness so they cook through without drying out.
Sun-dried tomatoes give the dish its signature tangy depth, so they're hard to replace exactly. In a pinch, use a spoonful of tomato paste plus a little roasted red pepper, though the flavour will be milder and less concentrated.
Short shapes like penne, rigatoni, or fusilli hold the creamy sauce in their ridges, but long pasta like fettuccine works beautifully too if you prefer it more like an alfredo.
Use freshly grated parmesan, add it off the heat, and don't let the sauce boil hard after the cream goes in. If it gets too thick, loosen it with a splash of reserved pasta water.
Yes. Make the sauce a day ahead and reheat it gently, then toss with freshly cooked pasta. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days and reheat well with a splash of liquid.
Swap heavy cream for half-and-half and rely on parmesan and starchy pasta water for body. It will be a little less rich but still creamy and full of flavour.
Baby spinach wilts straight into the hot sauce, and broccoli, mushrooms, or peas all work stirred through for a more complete, balanced meal.
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