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!

Marry me chicken pasta in a skillet.

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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

Marry me chicken pasta ingredients.

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.

Cooking sauce in a skillet.

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.

Marry me chicken pasta cooking in a skillet.

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.

Marry me chicken pasta in a skillet.

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.
  • Not a tomato fan? Try this creamy penne pasta instead.

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.
Marry me chicken pasta on a white plate.

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Marry me chicken pasta in a skillet.

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 5
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!
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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. 

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Crusted chicken: I like to keep this recipe gluten free, but if you’d like to create a crispy crusted chicken, simply dredge the chicken in a shallow bowl flour after step 1 before you add to the pan. It will create a nice crusted chicken fillet.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: I like to use the tomatoes packed in oil, but you can use the dried tomatoes, if you prefer. If you do go with dried, I recommend adding a little extra oil to the skillet with tomatoes to give the sauce an extra boost of flavor.  

Nutrition

Calories: 541kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 104mg, Sodium: 473mg, Potassium: 506mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 983IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 149mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.