Description
Marry Me Chicken Pasta is a creamy, flavorful dish featuring tender seared chicken breasts served over rigatoni pasta in a luscious tomato and parmesan cream sauce enhanced with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and a touch of spice. Perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner or special occasion, this recipe delivers rich, balanced flavors in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (454 grams)
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (14 milliliters)
Pasta
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta (340 grams)
Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (14 grams)
- 1/4 cup finely diced shallots (25 grams – 1 small shallot)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste (32 grams)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (60 milliliters)
- 15 ounces tomato sauce (425 milliliters)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240 milliliters)
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1/2 cup freshly-grated parmesan, plus more for serving (35 grams)
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained & finely chopped (56 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving (6 grams)
Instructions
- Prepare and pound chicken: Place the chicken breasts or thighs on a cutting board. Cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to pound the chicken evenly to about 1/4-inch thickness. Season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Sear the chicken: Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add the chicken and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Continue cooking, flipping every 30 seconds or so, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Transfer chicken to a clean cutting board, let rest for 5 minutes, then slice and set aside.
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until 1 minute short of al dente according to package instructions. Reserve about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta well.
- Sauté shallots: In the cast iron skillet used for the chicken, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced shallots and sauté until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add garlic and tomato paste: Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook until it darkens to a deep red, about 1 minute.
- Deglaze and build sauce: Pour the dry white wine into the skillet, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and heavy whipping cream, stirring until smooth. Bring the mixture to a very gentle simmer.
- Season the sauce: Stir in the chicken bouillon, grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and oregano. Let the parmesan sit for 1 minute, then stir until the cheese melts smoothly into the sauce. Mix in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Combine pasta and chicken: Add the drained pasta, sliced chicken, fresh basil, and about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of reserved pasta water to the sauce. Stir for 1 minute until the pasta is perfectly al dente and the sauce is glossy. Adjust the consistency by adding more pasta water if needed, a small splash at a time.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish with additional freshly grated parmesan, chopped fresh basil, and extra red pepper flakes as desired. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Use a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan to develop great sear and fond for the sauce.
- Adjust red pepper flakes to your preferred spice level for a milder or spicier dish.
- Reserve pasta water to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta better.
- Allowing chicken to rest after cooking keeps it juicy and tender.
- Substitute chicken thighs for breasts for richer flavor and more moisture.
- If you do not consume alcohol, substitute the dry white wine with chicken broth for deglazing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
