Marry Me Chicken Pasta (Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce, 35 Minutes, 39g Protein)

Marry me chicken pasta takes everything people love about the viral marry me chicken — the creamy parmesan sauce, the sweet-tangy sun-dried tomatoes, the garlic and basil — and tosses it with penne and bite-size seared chicken so every forkful has all of it. It is a 35-minute dinner with 39 grams of protein a serving.

My original marry me chicken is still one of the most-made recipes on this site, and the number one question on it is whether you can turn it into a pasta. You can, and it might be even better: cutting the chicken into pieces means faster searing and more golden edges, and the pasta soaks up the sauce. If you have tried my marry me chicken soup, this completes the set.

Save recipes like this straight from TikTok and plan your week in minutes with RecipeLoop, the free AI meal planner.

Why this marry me chicken pasta is so good.

• Bite-size chicken sears in minutes. Tossing chicken pieces with Italian seasoning and paprika and searing them in a hot skillet gives lots of browned edges, which means more flavor in the pan and in the sauce. They finish in the sauce, so they stay juicy.
• The sun-dried tomato oil does double duty. I cook the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in a spoonful of the oil from the jar, which is already full of tomato and herb flavor. It gives the sauce its signature rosy color and a depth that plain olive oil cannot match, much like the creamy base of my creamy Cajun chicken pasta.
• Thirty-nine grams of protein in a creamy pasta. A pound and a half of chicken plus real parmesan makes this a satisfying, high protein dinner. Use the protein calculator to see how a bowl fits your day.

Here's what you'll need.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts, Italian seasoning, paprika, olive oil, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, heavy cream, freshly grated parmesan, penne and fresh basil.

Here's how it all comes together.

STEP 1 — SEASON THE CHICKEN

Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and toss them in a bowl with the Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Get the pasta water boiling now so the penne is ready when the sauce is.

STEP 2 — SEAR THE CHICKEN UNTIL GOLDEN

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and leave it for 2 to 3 minutes so it browns, then flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until golden and just cooked through. Move it to a plate — it will finish in the sauce.

STEP 3 — SIZZLE THE SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND GARLIC

Lower the heat to medium and add a spoonful of the sun-dried tomato oil to the skillet. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.

STEP 4 — MAKE THE CREAMY PARMESAN SAUCE

Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the chicken, then stir in the heavy cream. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened, then lower the heat and stir in the parmesan a handful at a time until smooth and creamy.

STEP 5 — TOSS IN THE PENNE

Cook the penne in well-salted water until just al dente and scoop out a cup of pasta water before draining. Add the pasta straight into the sauce and toss until every piece is coated, loosening with a splash of pasta water if it gets too thick.

STEP 6 — FOLD IN THE CHICKEN AND BASIL

Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet and fold everything together over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the chicken is warmed through. Tear in the basil, taste for salt, and serve with extra parmesan on top.

If you love creamy, sun-dried tomato and parmesan flavors like this — and want more Italian and Mediterranean dinners that basically cook themselves — this is the book I reach for, the Ultimate Slow Cooker Mediterranean Diet Cookbook.

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

• Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. The dry, bagged kind stay chewy and tough in the sauce. Oil-packed ones are soft, easy to chop and bring their flavored oil with them. Pat them lightly before chopping so the sauce does not get greasy.
• Grate your own parmesan. Pre-shredded parmesan has anti-caking agents that keep it from melting smoothly, which can make the sauce grainy. A wedge of real Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, melts right in. Add it over low heat, not at a boil.
• Do not overcook the chicken the first time. Sear it until golden and barely cooked through, then take it out. It goes back into the hot sauce at the end and finishes there. Cooking it all the way in the first sear is how you end up with dry chicken bites.
• Save the pasta water. A splash of starchy water loosens a sauce that has thickened too much and helps it cling to the penne. I always keep a mug by the stove — especially if the pasta sits for a few minutes before serving.

Why marry me chicken pasta is on my easy dinner rotation.

• Thirty-five minutes, one skillet and one pot. The chicken sears while the water boils, the sauce builds in the same pan, and it all comes together at once. It is a date-night dinner with weeknight effort.
• Thirty-nine grams of protein that feels like comfort food. Creamy, cheesy and generous, but built on lean chicken breast, so it keeps you full and fits a higher protein week.
• It is flexible. Swap penne for rigatoni or fettuccine, add a couple handfuls of spinach with the cream, use half-and-half for a lighter sauce, or swap the chicken for shrimp. The sauce works with all of it.

Here's what I'd serve with this.

• Air fryer Brussels sprouts — crispy and charred, a nice contrast to the creamy pasta.
• Roasted cauliflower — a simple roasted vegetable to balance the richness.
• Mediterranean chickpea salad — a bright, crunchy salad that cuts through the cream.
• Creamy tomato basil soup — a small cup on the side for a cozy Italian dinner.

Just in case you have leftovers.

Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta absorbs the sauce as it sits, so it will look drier the next day — that is normal. I do not recommend freezing cream-based pasta; the sauce can turn grainy when thawed.

Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over low heat with a splash of chicken broth, milk or water, stirring until the sauce is creamy again, about 5 minutes. In the microwave, add a spoonful of liquid, cover and heat in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between.

More easy easy dinner recipes...

Marry me chicken Marry me chicken soup Creamy Cajun chicken pasta One pot chicken alfredo pasta

For more creamy pasta nights, try my one-pot garlic parmesan chicken pasta or creamy Tuscan salmon. And from today's new batch, my chicken piccata is the bright, lemony skillet chicken to make next.

More creamy Italian and Mediterranean dinners, the easy way.

The Ultimate Slow Cooker Mediterranean Diet Cookbook is full of sun-dried tomato, garlic and parmesan dinners like this one — creamy chicken, pastas and stews you can load in the morning and eat at night.

Get the cookbook on Amazon

Meal-plan the whole week around recipes like this with RecipeLoop — save recipes from anywhere, get a grocery list automatically.