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–+ servings
David Murphy

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

This marry me chicken pasta uses the famous sun-dried tomato cream sauce and turns it into a 25-minute one-pan dinner. The secret is the pasta water emulsification step -- toss over high heat for exactly one minute and the sauce goes glossy, clinging to every ridge of the rigatoni
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Course: Quick And Easy Meals
Cuisine: American
Calories: 471

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 Cups short pasta rigatoni, penne, or fusilli — ridges help the sauce cling (250g)
  • 1 large chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ⅓ cup Parmesan freshly grated
  • ½ cup pasta cooking water reserved before draining
  • 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
  • Salt pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh basil to finish

Instructions
 

  1. Cook the pasta. Boil in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Set pasta aside.
  2. Sear the chicken cubes. Heat sun-dried tomato oil over medium-high. Sear chicken cubes on all sides until golden — about 3–4 minutes total. Remove and set aside.
  3. Build the sauce. In the same pan, cook garlic and sun-dried tomatoes 1 minute. Add cream and Parmesan, lower heat, stir until Parmesan melts.
  4. Emulsify. Add pasta, chicken, and pasta water to the sauce. Raise heat to medium-high and toss continuously for exactly 1 minute. The sauce will tighten and coat the pasta. Serve immediately with fresh basil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServinCalories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 26gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 229mgPotassium: 694mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 627IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 148mgIron: 2mg

Notes

Pro Tips

  • Cook pasta to al dente, not beyond: It's going to finish in the sauce during the one-minute toss. If you cook it fully before that, it will be overcooked — soft and breaking apart — by the time it hits the plate.
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think: A full cup, even though the recipe calls for half. It's disposable if you don't use it; irreplaceable once the pot is drained.
  • Plate immediately: This dish does not wait. Have everything ready before the pasta goes into the sauce. Cream pasta keeps absorbing sauce after it leaves the pan, so the longer it sits, the drier it gets.
  • Add pasta water in increments: Add a few tablespoons at a time and toss. Stop when the sauce coats the pasta and looks glossy — not soupy. You may not need the full half cup.
  • Warm your bowls: Pasta served in a cold bowl loses temperature and texture almost immediately. Fill your bowls with hot tap water while you cook, then dump and dry right before serving. Your pasta stays hotter, longer.

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