Marry Me Chicken Pasta: 1 Dish for Pure Bliss

Oh, honey, if you’re looking for a dish that just screams “special occasion” but is secretly easy enough for a Tuesday night, you’ve found it! This Marry Me Chicken Pasta is pure magic in a bowl. Seriously, one bite and you’ll understand why it’s got that name – it’s that good! I’m Anna Kowalska, and here in my kitchen, we believe that food should be made with heart and always pack a serious flavor punch. I’ve spent years perfecting recipes that not only taste amazing but also bring people together. This creamy chicken pasta is a testament to that – it’s cozy, it’s comforting, and it’s guaranteed to make anyone feel loved. It’s the kind of meal that makes you want to slow down and savor every single bite, proving that incredible comfort food doesn’t have to be complicated.

Why You’ll Love This Marry Me Chicken Pasta

This Marry Me Chicken Pasta isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience! You’re going to adore how incredibly rich and creamy that sauce is – it’s pure indulgence. And the chicken? It’s so tender and packed with flavor, it practically melts in your mouth. It’s genuinely perfect for those special date nights at home or when you just want to impress your friends and family without breaking a sweat. The best part? It’s surprisingly simple to whip up, even when you’re short on time. This dish is a true taste of comfort food that you’ll find yourself craving again and again.

• Incredibly rich and creamy sauce
• Tender, flavorful chicken
• Perfect for date nights or impressing guests
• Surprisingly simple to make, even on busy nights
• A true taste of comfort food

Gathering Your Marry Me Chicken Pasta Ingredients

Alright, let’s get down to business and gather everything we need for this amazing Marry Me Chicken Pasta. Trust me, having everything prepped and ready makes the cooking process so much smoother, and you’ll be enjoying this creamy goodness in no time! You’ll need some lovely boneless, skinless chicken thighs – just give them a quick wash and pat them dry. For that initial flavor boost on the chicken, we’ve got smoked sweet paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Don’t forget that special sun-dried tomato oil; it comes right from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes and adds a gorgeous depth. For the pasta itself, farfalle is my go-to, but you can use your favorite shape. Then, for the sauce, we’ll need butter, some dried shallots, minced garlic and onion for that aromatic base, and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour – it’s a lifesaver for getting that perfect creamy texture without any gluten fuss. We’ll also grab chicken broth, heavy cream, shredded Parmesan, diced sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato paste. A cup of diced spinach gets stirred in too, for a little pop of color and goodness. And for the final touch on the sauce, a bit more Italian seasoning, smoked sweet paprika, and salt. Finally, fresh basil for that bright, beautiful garnish to finish it all off!

Ingredient	Quantity	Preparation
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs	3	Washed and patted dry
Smoked sweet paprika	3/4 tbsp
Italian seasoning	1 tablespoon
Salt	3/4 teaspoon
Black pepper	1/4 teaspoon
Sun-dried tomato oil	1 tablespoon	From the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
Farfalle pasta	12 oz
Butter	2 tablespoon
Dried shallots	2 tablespoon	Sautéed
Garlic	2 tablespoon	Minced
Onion	1 tablespoon	Minced
Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour	3 tablespoon
Chicken broth	2 cups
Heavy cream	1 cup
Parmesan cheese	1 cup	Shredded
Sun-dried tomatoes	1/4 cup	Diced
Tomato paste	2 tablespoon
Spinach	1 cup	Diced
Italian seasoning	1 tablespoon	For sauce
Smoked sweet paprika	1/2 teaspoon	For sauce
Salt	1/2 teaspoon	For sauce
Fresh basil	For garnish	Chopped

Crafting Your Marry Me Chicken Pasta: Step-by-Step

Alright, let’s get this party started and create some magic with this Marry Me Chicken Pasta! It’s really not as complicated as it sounds, and I promise, the payoff is HUGE. We’ll tackle it in a few easy stages. First, we get our chicken seasoned and seared to perfection. While that’s happening, your pasta will be happily boiling away. Then, we build that dreamy, creamy sauce right in the same skillet – less cleanup, more flavor, yes please! Finally, we bring it all together for a dish that’s ready to steal the show. You’ve got this!

Preparing the Chicken for Marry Me Chicken Pasta

First things first, let’s prep our chicken. Take those washed and dried chicken thighs and give them a good coating with the smoked sweet paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Make sure they’re nicely covered! Get a large skillet nice and hot over medium heat, add that special sun-dried tomato oil, and carefully place the chicken in. Sear it for about 3 minutes on each side until it’s got a lovely golden-brown crust. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low, pop a lid on, and let it cook through until it reaches 165°F. Once it’s done, take it out and let it rest on a cutting board. This resting step is key for juicy chicken!

Boiling the Perfect Pasta

While the chicken is doing its thing, get a big pot of salted water boiling for your pasta. We want to cook the farfalle (or whatever shape you’re using!) until it’s just *al dente*. That means it’s cooked through but still has a little bite to it. Nobody wants mushy pasta, right? Once it’s ready, drain it really well and set it aside. We’ll be tossing it into our glorious sauce later!

Creating the Creamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta Sauce

Now for the star of the show – that incredible sauce! In that same skillet you used for the chicken (don’t wipe it out, that’s where all the flavor is!), melt your butter over medium heat. Toss in the dried shallots, minced garlic, onion, and those diced sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté them for about 2 minutes until they’re nice and fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and the rest of the sauce seasonings (Italian seasoning, paprika, salt). Now, sprinkle in the Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour and stir it all together for about a minute to cook out that raw flour taste – this is what will thicken our sauce! Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, then pour in the heavy cream and add the spinach. Let it simmer gently – don’t let it boil hard! – until the sauce thickens up nicely and the spinach wilts. Finally, stir in that shredded Parmesan cheese until it’s all melty and gloriously creamy.

Bringing It All Together

Okay, almost there! Take your rested chicken and dice it into bite-sized pieces. Add the diced chicken and your perfectly cooked pasta right into that luscious sauce in the skillet. Give everything a gentle stir to coat it all beautifully. Make sure every piece of pasta and chicken is swimming in that creamy goodness. Taste it and adjust seasoning if needed, then garnish with that fresh chopped basil. And voilà! Your incredible Marry Me Chicken Pasta is ready to serve!

Essential Equipment for Marry Me Chicken Pasta

To whip up this dreamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta without a hitch, you’ll want a few trusty kitchen companions. First up, a good large skillet is your best friend here; it’s where all the magic happens, from searing the chicken to building that luscious sauce. You’ll also need a set of measuring cups and spoons to get those ingredients just right – precision matters for that perfect creamy texture! A sturdy cutting board and a sharp knife are essential for dicing the chicken and veggies. Don’t forget a colander for draining your pasta perfectly al dente. And finally, a good pair of tongs will be super handy for flipping that chicken and gently tossing everything together at the end.

• Large skillet
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Colander
• Tongs

Tips for Perfect Marry Me Chicken Pasta Every Time

Want your Marry Me Chicken Pasta to be absolutely perfect every single time? I’ve got you covered! A really good sear on the chicken is key – make sure that skillet is nice and hot before you add it. This locks in the juices and gives it that gorgeous color. Now, about the sauce: the biggest tip is to never let it boil hard! Just a gentle simmer is all you need. Boiling can make the cream separate, and we definitely don’t want that. Cooking your pasta to that perfect al dente stage is also super important; it’ll finish cooking in the sauce without getting mushy. And honestly, using good quality ingredients, especially the sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan, really makes a difference in the final flavor. Trust me on this one!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Let’s talk ingredients for our Marry Me Chicken Pasta! Sometimes you might not have exactly what’s listed, and that’s totally okay. For the gluten-free flour, I love Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 blend because it works like a charm to thicken our sauce beautifully without any gluten. If you can’t find it, any good gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum should do the trick.

Now, if you don’t have dried shallots and onions, no worries! You can absolutely use fresh. Just use about 1 tablespoon of finely minced fresh shallot and 2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh yellow onion. You might need to sauté them for an extra minute or two to soften them up nicely. For the sun-dried tomatoes, the recipe calls for oil-packed ones, and using that oil is a flavor shortcut! If you only have dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, just rehydrate them in some warm water for about 15-20 minutes before chopping. You’ll just need to add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan when it’s time to sauté them instead of the sun-dried tomato oil.

Marry Me Chicken Pasta: Storage and Reheating

So, you’ve got some leftover Marry Me Chicken Pasta because, let’s be honest, it’s so good you might make extra! That’s totally fine. Pop any leftovers into an airtight container and pop them in the fridge. They’ll stay delicious for about 3 days. Now, when you’re ready to enjoy them again, I really recommend reheating them gently. You can do this in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or even zap individual portions in the microwave. The key is to heat it through slowly so that creamy sauce doesn’t break or get weird. Freezing just isn’t the best idea for this creamy dish; it tends to mess with the texture.

Storage Method	Duration	Reheating Method
Refrigerated	Up to 3 days	Medium-low heat on stovetop or microwave

Marry Me Chicken Pasta: Nutritional Insights

Just a friendly heads-up about the nutritional info for this amazing Marry Me Chicken Pasta! The numbers you see are estimates, okay? They can totally change depending on the specific brands of ingredients you use, like the chicken broth or cream, and even how much cheese you decide to sprinkle in (no judgment here!). So think of them as a general guide, not gospel truth. Happy cooking!

• Nutritional information is an estimate.
• Values may vary based on ingredient choices and brands.

Your Marry Me Chicken Pasta Questions Answered

Got questions about making this dreamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta? I totally get it! Here are some common ones I hear, and my best advice:

Q: Can I make this Marry Me Chicken Pasta vegetarian?

Oh, absolutely! You can easily make this a vegetarian delight. Just skip the chicken altogether! You could add some sautéed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, or even some hearty chickpeas for extra texture and flavor. The creamy sauce is so fantastic, it stands on its own beautifully.

Q: What kind of pasta works best for Marry Me Chicken Pasta?

While I adore farfalle for its cute little bow-tie shape that scoops up the sauce so well, you can really use almost any pasta shape you love! Penne, rigatoni, rotini, or even fettuccine would be fantastic. Just make sure you cook it to that perfect al dente stage so it doesn’t get mushy when you toss it in the sauce. The key is to have something that holds onto all that creamy goodness!

Q: How can I make the sauce richer or thinner?

To make the sauce richer, you can add a little extra splash of heavy cream at the end, or even stir in a tablespoon of cream cheese along with the Parmesan. If you want to thin it out a bit, just whisk in a little more chicken broth, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Remember to do this gently over low heat!

Q: Can I add other vegetables to my Marry Me Chicken Pasta?

You bet! This pasta is super forgiving. Besides the spinach, feel free to toss in some steamed broccoli florets, sautéed bell peppers, or even some peas. Just add them in when you add the spinach, giving them time to heat through. It’s a great way to bulk it up and add even more color and nutrients!

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