This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This marry me chicken pasta is tossed in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce and made with lightened up ingredients. It’s quick and easy, perfect for having a delicious, healthy dinner on the table fast.
Why You’ll Love It
There are so many reasons to get this dreamy marry me chicken pasta recipe into your dinner rotation- but here are a a few reasons you’ll love it.
- Creamy and SO flavorful. This chicken pasta tastes like a creamy pasta dish you’d get at your favorite restaurant- it’s so so good. I love a creamy dinner- you’ll love my Creamy Garlic Pork Chops and Alfredo Meatballs too!
- Lightened up. Most “marry me” recipes are loaded with lots of heavy cream and butter. My version uses mostly milk instead and just a small amount of cream and butter for the right creaminess, but it’s just as good.
- Quick and easy. You can get this meal on your table in 30 minutes flat, and it’s ridiculously easy, making it a family favorite for busy weeknights. Plus it uses wholesome, simple ingredients that never disappoint.
And if you love sun-dried tomato dishes, don’t miss my Feta Chicken Bake and Feta Pizza with Spinach.
Ingredients
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Pasta: I prefer bow ties, ziti or penne. Use chickpea pasta for more fiber!
- Chicken breast: You’ll need boneless skinless chicken breasts (thin-sliced or chicken cutlets cook faster) but you can also use already cooked chicken like rotisserie chicken, or even leftover chicken that you have on hand.
- Fresh garlic: You could sub garlic powder in a pinch but I highly recommend fresh minced garlic.
- Butter: Just a small amount of butter plus all-purpose flour creates the roux for this creamy sauce.
- Milk + a little heavy cream: Most of the base is milk to make it lighter.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Plus sundried tomato oil straight from the jar!
- Spinach: For color and some nutrition! Or, any other greens like kale.
- Spices: Salt, black, pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Parmesan cheese + lemon juice: This classic flavor combination adds the finishing flavor touches to the flavorful sauce.
Variations
- Use rice or orzo instead: Instead of pasta, swap in your orzo pasta or rice.
- Swap the protein: Instead of chicken breast use shrimp or salmon for a marry me seafood twist.
- More tomato flavor: Want a deeper tomato flavor? Add a teaspoon or two of tomato paste right into the sauce. o
- Add more veggies: Add more veggies like broccoli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes or even mushrooms.
- Pesto marry me chicken: Add a big dollop of pesto for a big flavor boost.
- Fresh herbs: Stir in chopped fresh basil or parsley for more herby flavor. You can even add a 1/2-1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
How To Make Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Make the pasta. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Cook chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chicken in an even layer. Season evenly with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, flip and cook for additional 3-5 minutes until cooked through and golden brown. Set aside.
- Sauté garlic and butter. Reduce heat to low and melt butter in the pan. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
- Make the roux. Sprinkle flour over the butter and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes until flour starts to brown.
- Make the sauce. Slowly stir in milk and heavy cream, whisking to combine. Then, add sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, seasonings, and chicken to the sauce.
- Add parmesan. Cook for 4-5 minutes until spinach is wilted and sauce is thickened. Stir in parmesan cheese and lemon juice.
- Add the pasta. Add cooked pasta and toss with sauce until combined well.
- Enjoy! Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and fresh basil if desired.
How to store
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Sauce will thicken in the fridge so you can add a splash of milk before reheating to help!
Jamie’S Tips
Recipe Tips
- Like it saucier? Add a splash more of milk or even chicken broth, chicken stock, or even a splash of pasta water for a little more sauce.
- Save yourself time! Grab a rotisserie chicken and skip the chicken cooking step! You can even make my Air Fryer Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts for this.
- Taste test and season. This dish is SO flavorful but don’t forget to adjust to your preferences. I love adding extra parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Give it a taste and adjust any of the seasonings or ingredients according to your taste buds.
I like bow-tie pasta, penne pasta, ziti or rigatoni best, but honestly, any pasta will work including fettuccine, spaghetti or angel hair pasta. For extra protein and fiber, you can even use chickpea pasta.
All of the “marry me” recipes are typically dishes featuring a creamy sauce full of sundried tomatoes, garlic, cream and parmesan cheese. The end result? A dish SO good it’s worthy of a marriage proposal (perfect for date night)! In all seriousness though, it’s just really really delicious.
Yes definitely! Use gluten-free pasta like chickpea or lentil pasta and replace the flour with a gluten-free all-purpose blend.
More healthy dinner ideas
If you’ve made and loved this Marry Me Chicken Pasta Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz ziti or bowtie pasta, about 2-2.5 cups of dry pasta
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil from sun-dried tomato jar, or regular olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup milk, 2% or whole recommended
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, more to taste
- 1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, more to taste
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice, more to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chicken in an even layer. Season evenly with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, flip and cook for additional 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Reduce heat to low and melt butter in the pan. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over the butter and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes until flour starts to brown. Next, slowly stir in milk and heavy cream, whisking to combine.
- Add sundried tomatoes, spinach, seasonings, and chicken to the sauce.
- Continue cooking about 4-5 minutes until spinach is wilted and sauce is thickened.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and lemon juice.
- Add pasta and toss with sauce until combined well.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
Food photography by Marie-Catherine Dubé.
I made this the day Jamie posted it and was not disappointed. Super quick and delicious! Even my 10 year old who took one look and assumed she wouldn’t like it when she saw spinach, asked me to please make it again! I swapped shrimp for chicken but oh so good.
Woooooo! So glad it was a hit 🙂
Great flavors and creaminess while being on the lighter side. Simple and quick to make. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Everyone in my family loved this- the toddler, the baby and my husband. So quick and easy to cook! It’s going on our fortnightly rotation. Thanks Jamie!
This is SO delicious! I love finding recipes that are lower calorie for me that my husband will also enjoy. This will definitely be added to our rotation!
Yay! So happy it was a hit 🙂