Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Marry Me Chicken Pasta is an easy yet impressive meal made with perfectly cooked chicken and pasta, coated in a beautiful creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. A restaurant-quality dinner ready in about 30 minutes!
Servings: 4
Calories: 695kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces short pasta I used casarecce; penne, rigatoni and farfalle all good options
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes can sub chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter salted and unsalted both work
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped be sure to drain, if in oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika can sub smoked paprika if you prefer a smokier taste; I suggest using only ½ teaspoon because the flavour is stronger
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil plus more for garnish
Instructions
- First, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve a half cup of cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, make the chicken and sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165° F. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside on a clean plate.
- In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Then, stir in the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour evenly over the top of the onion and garlic mixture and stir to combine. Let the flour cook for about 2 minutes while stirring constantly, then deglaze the pan with a small amount of the broth (scrape up any toasty bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet – see Note 1). Slowly whisk in the remaining broth, adding a little at a time until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
- Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and paprika, then turn the heat to low and mix in the heavy cream, parmesan and fresh basil. Let the sauce simmer a couple minutes to allow the flavours to blend.
- Add the cooked pasta and chicken to the sauce. Gently toss until the sauce creates an even coating and the chicken and pasta are warmed. Add a splash of reserved pasta cooking water if you find the sauce is getting too thick.
- Serve immediately garnished with additional parmesan cheese and basil, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Deglazing: instead of chicken broth, you can deglaze the pan with about ¼ cup of your favourite white wine.
- To store: allow the pasta to cool and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate and eat within 4 days.
- To reheat
- Stovetop (best method): reheat in a non-stick skillet over low heat, stirring frequently. Add a splash of chicken broth, milk or cream to reconstitute the sauce, if needed.
- Microwave: reheat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each.
Nutrition
Calories: 695kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 1263mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1209IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 3mg
