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Marry Me Chicken in a skillet with a tomato cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach.
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Marry Me Chicken Pasta

This Marry Me Chicken has pasta and juicy bites of chicken smothered in a tomato cream sauce with sundried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, white wine, and the best seasonings and flavor enhancers.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 575kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 ½ cups half and half or heavy cream
  • 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
  • ½ chicken bouillon cube
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce I use Frank’s
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¾ teaspoons EACH: onion powder, parsley, dried oregano, basil

Chicken/Pasta

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup dry white wine see notes
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes oil reserved
  • ¾ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 4 tablespoons cream cheese softened
  • 2 cups packed spinach
  • ¾ pound ziti see notes
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Pat the sundried tomatoes dry and roughly chop them. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
  • Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2 to 3 thinner slices. Cover with saran wrap and use a meat mallet to tenderize each side. Pat it dry. Cut into bite-size pieces and season with salt and pepper.
  • Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of reserved oil from sundried tomatoes in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until golden on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  • As you continue with the following steps, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once a boil is reached, stir in some salt. (I use ½ tablespoon Kosher salt.)
  • Meanwhile, add the wine to the same skillet used to cook the chicken and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet. Simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the butter and the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes.
  • Add the sauce mixture (from step 1), in small splashes, stirring continuously.
  • Add the sundried tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Add the cream cheese and let it heat through and melt.
  • Simmer, partially covered, while you cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain once cooked.
  • Gradually sprinkle the Parmesan cheese into the sauce. Add the spinach and allow it to heat through for 1 minute.
  • Add the chicken along with any juices from the plate.
  • Add the drained pasta gradually, until your desired pasta-to-sauce ratio is obtained. (I prefer slightly less than ¾ lb.) The sauce will continue to thicken upon standing. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Cream Cheese: To soften the cream cheese quickly: place it in the microwave for 10 second intervals at lower power. (Use the "melt" function if possible, but don't actually melt it, just soften it.) 
  • Pasta: A variety of pasta options work well here, including penne, cavatappi, medium shells, farfalle, and rigatoni.
  • Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay are the best dry white wines to use in this recipe. Non-alcoholic wines are also widely available. Chicken broth can be used instead of wine if needed.
  • Tomatoes: I use Mezzetta Sundried tomatoes in this recipe. Be careful about selecting a variety that may be seasoned with herbs, I prefer plain as we’re already seasoning this sauce.
  • Regular diced tomatoes can be used instead of sundried; olive oil can be used instead of reserved oil from the jar. Rotel tomatoes can also be used for a little kick!
  • I use Mutti Tomato Paste tubes, they’re handy for measuring smaller/customized amounts.
  • Hot Sauce: This is a flavor enhancer in this recipe and doesn’t make the end result spicy, I use Frank’s Hot Sauce.
  • Cheese: Shred the cheese from a block, it will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Belgioioso Parmesan. 
  • Variations of this Dish: Try my Marry Me Chicken Orzo, Marry Me Chicken, (without pasta), and Marry Me Chicken Soup recipes next!
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This does freeze/reheat well.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 575kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 768mg | Potassium: 882mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1725IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 2mg