Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2-inch thick cutlets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
For the Pasta
- 12 ounces pasta, such as penne, fettuccine, or linguine
- 1 tablespoon salt, for pasta water
For the Creamy Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- 5 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
For Garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Set aside.
⏱️ 10 min
- 2
Cook the chicken: While the pasta cooks, season the chicken cutlets generously with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken cutlets and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate. Once cool enough to handle, slice into bite-sized pieces.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
Build the sauce base: Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
⏱️ 3 min
- 4
Simmer the sauce: Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer, allowing it to reduce slightly for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and continue to simmer for another 3-5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
⏱️ 8 min
- 5
Finish the sauce: Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Add the fresh spinach and stir until it wilts into the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
⏱️ 4 min
- 6
Combine and serve: Add the cooked pasta and sliced chicken back into the skillet with the sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta and chicken are well coated. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and extra grated Parmesan cheese before serving immediately.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2-inch thick cutlets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
For the Pasta
- 12 ounces pasta, such as penne, fettuccine, or linguine
- 1 tablespoon salt, for pasta water
For the Creamy Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- 5 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
For Garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Set aside.
⏱️ 10 min - 2
Cook the chicken: While the pasta cooks, season the chicken cutlets generously with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken cutlets and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate. Once cool enough to handle, slice into bite-sized pieces.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
Build the sauce base: Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
⏱️ 3 min - 4
Simmer the sauce: Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer, allowing it to reduce slightly for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and continue to simmer for another 3-5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
⏱️ 8 min - 5
Finish the sauce: Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Add the fresh spinach and stir until it wilts into the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
⏱️ 4 min - 6
Combine and serve: Add the cooked pasta and sliced chicken back into the skillet with the sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta and chicken are well coated. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and extra grated Parmesan cheese before serving immediately.
⏱️ 5 min