Marry Me Chicken Pasta (Printable Version)

Rich, creamy chicken pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and tender seared chicken in a luscious parmesan cream sauce, ready in 40 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
04 - 1/2 tsp paprika

→ Pasta

05 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta

→ Sauce

06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained & sliced
09 - 1 cup chicken broth
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
13 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped
15 - Additional grated Parmesan

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, and paprika.
03 - In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F). Remove chicken, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
04 - Add minced garlic to the same skillet. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add sliced sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute to release their oils.
05 - Pour in chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced.
06 - Lower heat to medium-low. Stir in heavy cream, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if using. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
07 - Slice rested chicken into strips. Return cooked pasta and sliced chicken to the skillet with the sauce. Toss everything together until well combined and heated through. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped fresh basil or parsley and additional grated Parmesan.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in one pan, meaning less cleanup and more time eating
  • Sun-dried tomatoes add this incredible depth that makes people think you cooked all day
  • Everything cooks in under 40 minutes, but tastes like something from a fancy Italian restaurant
02 -
  • Do not skip the step of scraping up the browned bits from the pan, that is where all the flavor lives
  • The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so remove it from heat when it still looks slightly thin
  • If your sauce looks too thick, add a splash of pasta water to loosen it up
03 -
  • Use some of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar in place of half the olive oil for extra flavor
  • Grate your own Parmesan instead of buying pre-grated for better melting and taste

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