This marry me chicken pasta is an easy cozy weeknight dinner made with tender penne, a creamy sauce, rotisserie chicken and savory sun-dried tomatoes!
One Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta
When I want a creamy chicken pasta dish, marry me chicken pasta is what I crave the most! It’s a pasta version of the classic marry me chicken made from tender chicken and sundried tomatoes in a rich Parmesan and cream sauce.
We love it with a side salad and easy breadsticks to ensure every last bit of sauce is scooped up off the plate!
Why I Love This Recipe
- The richness of the sauce and the tartness of the sundried tomatoes give this dish the perfect balance of flavors.
- It’s a comforting meal ready to serve in an hour.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Cooked chicken: Leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or cook up some boneless skinless chicken breast on the spot. Cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Penne pasta: Cooked to al dente according to package directions in salted water.
- Butter and flour: This will make a roux, which is the base of the sauce that helps it to thicken.
- Chicken broth and heavy cream: The liquids added to turn the roux into a sauce. Bring the heavy cream to room temperature.
- Parmesan cheese and sundried tomatoes: Briny Parmesan and tart sun-dried tomatoes in oil add to the depth of flavor in the sauce.
- Aromatics and seasonings: Minced garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and sprinkle with flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes until it becomes fragrant. Stir in a cup of broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape off the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Let the pan cool slightly then whisk in cream until smooth. Sprinkle in the grated Parmesan cheese and stir until it melts. Return skillet to medium-low heat, whisking for a minute before adding the sun dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and seasoning.
Toss in the chicken and pasta to coat then if you’re adding spinach to the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, do that now then simmer until wilted. Season to taste and enjoy with extra Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh basil.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Using sundried tomatoes packed in oil for extra flavor is my favorite way to go.
- This recipe works with any type of pasta. Rigatoni, spaghetti, bowtie, just to name a few.
- If you want to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, that’s a great option.
Storage and Reheating
- Store: Keep any leftover marry me pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: For quick weeknight dinners, reheat your leftovers on the stove in a pan over medium-low heat. The pasta will have absorbed much of the sauce, so add a splash of cream to loosen it up again.
More one pot recipes creamy Tuscan chicken pasta, chicken pesto pasta and one pot chicken Parmesan pasta.
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Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Video
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 cups cooked chicken , I used rotisserie
- 10 ounces penne pasta
Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ Tablespoon flour
- 3 garlic cloves , minced (1 Tablespoon)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream , at room temperature
- ½ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil , drained and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt , to taste
- Ground black pepper , to taste
- Fresh basil , thinly sliced, for serving
Optional add in: 1 cup chopped spinach
Instructions
Pasta
- Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water.
Sauce
- In a large pan, melt 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over the top.
- In the same pan, reduce heat to medium low. Add 3 garlic cloves and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in 1 cup broth, scraping up any loose browned bits.
- Transfer pan to a cold burner and let cool slightly. Whisk in 3/4 cup cream until smooth. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup parmesan and gently stir until cheese has melted.
- Return skillet to medium-low heat and whisk sauce 1 minute until heated. Stir in 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, ensuring it is well coated in the sauce. Add in cooked pasta and spinach if desired. Simmer 2 more minutes, or until chicken and pasta warmed through. Season to taste.
- Spoon remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with basil.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Sounds delicious! Any ideas on how to make it dairy free? I know you could use a nut milk creamer but what about a substitute for the parmesan cheese?
Hi Deb, Silk has a whipping cream that would work great for the heavy cream and there are alot of brands that carry a dairy free parmesan cheese you could use! Taste will be different and D/F cheese often doesn’t melt the same, but if you are used to dairy free then I say go for it! Enjoy!
We love this recipe! My daughter-in-law requests it constantly. Is there a crockpot version?
So happy to hear that you love the recipe! Sorry we do not have a crockpot version.
Can you sub marinated artichokes for the sun-dried tomatoes due to a food allergy?
Sure, taste will be different than intended.
Easy, flavorful and delicious! – recipe tester
Thank you for the review Alisha!