This Marry Me Chicken Pasta is a delicious spin on the viral Marry Me Chicken recipe. It's creamy but light and packed with flavor from sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, and fresh lemon.
Why Youβll Love This Recipe
- It's still a creamy pasta dish but a bit lighter without the addition of heavy cream.
- It's an easy recipe to make gluten or dairy-free to meet any dietary preferences.
- The leftover pasta reheats well making it a great meal prep option.
- It has simple ingredients and is always a family favorite for a busy weeknight.
- It's versatile and also great for a special occasion like date night.
- If you're a fan of Tuscan chicken pasta, you will like this version.
Ingredient Notes
- Bow tie pasta - you can also use another shape of pasta like penne pasta. Always watch the cooking time on the pastaβal dente pasta is best! Feel free to use a gluten-free option here as well if needed.
- Olive oil or butter
- Boneless skinless chicken breast - you can also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Salt, black pepper, paprika, minced garlic, dried oregano - if you're out of oregano, you can substitute it for Italian seasoning for a similar end result. Fresh garlic will yield the best result.
- Red pepper flakes - feel free to reduce or omit this depending on spice preference.
- Flour - use a 1 to 1 gluten-free flour if you prefer.
- Light canned coconut milk OR milk - use either one you prefer here! For milk, use 2% or whole. We don't recommend full-fat coconut milk as the coconut flavor is a bit stronger. The coconut flavor is not as present with the light coconut milk.
- Chopped sun-dried tomatoes - remove them from the oil before chopping them.
- Chicken broth - you can also use chicken bone broth here.
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese - omit this or substitute it for 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a dairy-free option.
- Fresh basil - fresh herbs make the difference here!
- Lemon
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment Youβll Need
- Cutting board & knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Medium bowl
- Large skillet
- Large pot
- Wooden spoon
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Add water to a large pot and place it on the stove. Salt the water generously. Add the pasta to the water when itβs boiling and cook it al dente according to package directions. Once itβs cooked, drain the water and set it aside.
While the pasta is cooking, sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika evenly over the chicken. Place a pan on the stove over medium heat. Once itβs hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the chicken to the pan and let it cook for 5-6 minutes, or until itβs fully cooked through and slightly golden brown. Drain off excess liquid as needed. Set the cooked chicken aside in a bowl.
Place the same pan back on the stove over medium low heat and add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Next add the flour and mix briefly before slowly adding the milk. Whisk as you slowly add the milk to prevent clumping.
After youβve added all of the milk, add the minced garlic, oregano, chili flakes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken broth. Reduce to low heat and continue to stir frequently for 5-6 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent anything from sticking and burning.
Add the cooked pasta and chicken into the sauce and mix well.
Add the parmesan, chopped basil, and fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste.
Tips & Variations
- While we love the flavor the sun-dried tomatoes provides, you could skip them and add halved cherry tomatoes instead.
- We highly recommend using minced garlic instead of garlic powder in this recipe.
- Serve this pasta with a simple roasted vegetable or a fresh salad.
- If you would like to skip the pasta and just have a chicken dish, follow the same instructions for the chicken but leave out the pasta and increase the amount of chicken to 1.5 lbs and serve it over rice or mashed potatoes.
FAQ
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and reheat for up to 3 days.
The creamy sun-dried tomato sauce is a crowd favorite on social media platforms and it was given the name because supposedly it's good enough to cause your significant other to fall in love with you and prompt a marriage proposal! We love this pasta version for a filling and more complete meal.
You can easily make this dish gluten or dairy-free. For gluten-free, use a gluten-free pasta like Jovial and a 1 to 1 gluten-free flour substitute like Bob's Red Mill. For a dairy-free option, use light canned coconut milk and omit the parmesan and swap with 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast if you prefer.
If you like this delicious chicken recipe, check out a few of our other easy dinners:
If you make this creamy sundried tomato chicken pasta, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Donβt forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished productβit makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Creamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz uncooked bow tie pastaΒ
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced and cubed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter, divided
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk (2% or whole, or light coconut milk for dairy-free)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (reduce or omit for less spice)
- 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, removed from the oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese (omit for dairy-free)
- 3 tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Add water to a large pot and place it on the stove. Salt the water generously. Add the pasta to the water when itβs boiling and cook it al dente according to package directions. Once itβs cooked, drain the water and set it aside.
- While the pasta cooks, sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika evenly over the chicken. Place a pan on the stove over medium heat. Once itβs hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the chicken to the pan and let it cook for 5-6 minutes, or until itβs fully cooked through and slightly golden brown. Drain off excess liquid as needed. Set the cooked chicken aside in a bowl.
- Place the same pan back on the stove over medium low heat and add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Next add the flour and mix briefly before slowly adding the milk. Whisk as you slowly add the milk to prevent clumping.
- After youβve added all of the milk, add the minced garlic, oregano, chili flakes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken broth. Reduce to low heat and continue to stir frequently for 5-6 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent anything from sticking and burning.
- Add the cooked pasta and chicken into the sauce and mix well. Add the parmesan, chopped basil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and any additional salt to taste.
Notes
- You can easily make this dish gluten or dairy-free. For gluten-free, use a gluten-free pasta like Jovial and a 1 to 1 gluten-free flour substitute like Bob's Red Mill. For a dairy-free option, use light canned coconut milk and omit the parmesan and swap with 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast if you prefer.
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Marry Me Chicken Pasta."Β The nutrition is calculated using 2% milk.
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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Katelyn
Made this for dinner tonight and it was highly enjoyed by all! Even our 2 and 4 year old! Super easy to make too! Will be adding to our list of regulars!
Begin With Balance
So glad to hear it! It's always a win when the kids are happy at dinner:) thanks for trying it and letting us know!
Lynzi
Delicious!! Everything was just right, I doubled for my family of 7 and we have some left overs for tomorrow. Thanks BWB!
Begin With Balance
So glad to hear you liked it! Thanks for trying it and letting us know how it turned out!