Description
This Marry Me Chicken Pasta is a creamy, flavorful dish combining tender shredded chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan cheese in a luscious white wine cream sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, this comforting pasta recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner that feels special enough for date night or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (any shape)
- Salt, to taste (for boiling water)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- â…“ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- â…“ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups cooked or rotisserie chicken, shredded
- â…“ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 small handful fresh basil, torn or chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. Set pasta aside.
- Make Sauce: While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute to form a roux and cook out the raw flour taste.
- Add Aromatics and Liquids: Add the minced garlic and tomato paste to the roux, stirring for about a minute until fragrant. Pour in the dry white wine (or chicken broth if preferred) and stir well, cooking for another minute to reduce slightly.
- Thicken Sauce: Whisk in the heavy cream, then fold in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and shredded cooked chicken. Simmer the sauce gently, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to your desired creaminess, about 3-5 minutes.
- Combine and Finish: Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves. Remove the skillet from heat and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Toss Pasta: Add the drained pasta directly into the skillet with the sauce. Toss well to coat the pasta evenly in the creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it to your preferred consistency.
- Serve: Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese if desired, for a rich and comforting meal.
Notes
- Use any shape of pasta you prefer; penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine work particularly well.
- Chicken can be homemade cooked chicken breast or convenient rotisserie chicken for quicker prep.
- If you don’t have white wine on hand, chicken broth is a good substitute that keeps the sauce flavorful.
- Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes to control the heat level.
- Reserve some pasta water when draining pasta; it helps loosen the sauce and helps it cling better to the pasta.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor and smooth melting in the sauce.
- This dish is best served immediately as the sauce thickens upon standing.
