*Obviously tweak this to fit your house — dairy free, extra saucy, gluten free, whatever chaos you’re working with.

Okay so dinner in my house is basically a hostage negotiation with three kids, a pile of laundry judging me from the hallway, and zero chill.

Enter Marry Me Chicken Pasta, aka the recipe that’s carried me through more Tuesdays than I’d like to admit. Chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, penne, 30 minutes, done. Big “I have my life together” energy, even though we all know I do not.

My husband took one bite and gave me the look. You know the one. 10/10, would make again, chef’s kiss, etc.

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Table of Contents

Why This Recipe Slaps (Most of the Time)

Creamy, quick, comforting — the trifecta. It went viral for a reason, and Delish has their own version if you want to go down that rabbit hole too.

What You Need

8 oz pasta — penne’s the move, but no judgment if you’re a rotini person
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
3–4 cloves garlic, minced (or just dump in the jarred stuff, we’re not precious here)
1 Tbsp butter
1 lb chicken, cubed
½ tsp EACH: Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup parmesan — the shaker kind works fine, don’t @ me
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Tools that make life easier: a good cast-iron skillet and a bread knife for the garlic bread you’re 100% making too.

Let’s Cook

Pasta first. Boil it however you normally boil pasta. Eyeball the timing, you’ll be fine.
Onions and garlic. Olive oil, medium heat, throw ’em in till soft and smelling amazing, about 3 minutes.
Chicken time. Push the onions aside, melt the butter, add the chicken and all the seasonings. Cook till golden, 6–8 minutes. Don’t stress about a thermometer, just eyeball it — living dangerously is part of the fun.
The sauce. Dump the cream straight in with everything still in the pan — chicken, onions, all of it. One-pot life. Crank the heat a little if it’s taking forever, we don’t have time to babysit a simmer tonight. Stir in the parm.
Tomatoes. Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes, stir, vibe check the sauce.
Combine. Pasta goes in, toss till coated.
Serve. Extra parm on top if you’re feeling fancy. Watch everyone pretend they’re not fighting over the last piece of chicken.

Tips (Take ‘Em or Leave ‘Em)

Pre-shredded parm is fine honestly, fresh-grated is “nice to have” not “need to have”
Chicken slightly overcooked? It happens. Drown it in sauce, nobody will know
Baby spinach at the end if you’re feeling like a vegetable today

What to Serve With It

Garlic bread, sliced up with that bread knife
Caesar salad, from a bag, no shame
Wine, for you specifically, not the kids

Storage

Fridge, airtight container, 3 days max
Reheat with a splash of cream so it doesn’t turn into sad glue

Remix It However You Want

Mushroom Bacon Spinach: Swap the sun-dried tomatoes for this combo. Chef move, minimal effort.

Dairy-Free: Coconut milk instead of cream, squeeze of lemon, nutritional yeast. Your lactose-intolerant bestie will never know.

Extra Everything: Double the sauce because more sauce is always correct.

Crockpot Version (For the “I Cannot Deal With a Stove Today” Days)

Whole chicken breasts, seasonings, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1½ cups chicken broth in the crockpot. LOW 6–7 hours or HIGH 3–4. Shred the chicken, stir in cream and parm right in the crockpot (don’t overthink it), then toss with pasta you cooked separately. Done. You survived another day.

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

8 oz pasta — penne’s the move but no judgment if you’re a rotini person
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup onion chopped
3 –4 cloves garlic minced (or just dump in the jarred stuff, we’re not precious here)
1 Tbsp butter
1 lb chicken cubed
½ tsp EACH: Italian seasoning smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup parmesan — the shaker kind works fine don’t @ me
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
Tools that make life easier: a good cast-iron skillet and a bread knife for the garlic bread you’re 100% making too.

Method

Pasta first. Boil it however you normally boil pasta. Eyeball the timing, you’ll be fine.
Onions and garlic. Olive oil, medium heat, throw ’em in till soft and smelling amazing, about 3 minutes.
Chicken time. Push the onions aside, melt the butter, add the chicken and all the seasonings. Cook till golden, 6–8 minutes. Don’t stress about a thermometer, just eyeball it — living dangerously is part of the fun.
The sauce. Dump the cream straight in with everything still in the pan — chicken, onions, all of it. One-pot life. Crank the heat a little if it’s taking forever, we don’t have time to babysit a simmer tonight. Stir in the parm.
Tomatoes. Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes, stir, vibe check the sauce.
Combine. Pasta goes in, toss till coated.
Serve. Extra parm on top if you’re feeling fancy. Watch everyone pretend they’re not fighting over the last piece of chicken.

More Recipes to Add to the Rotation

Bottom Line

Is it perfect? Nah. Will your family still ask for seconds? Also yes. That’s the millennial parenting sweet spot right there — good enough, low effort, everyone’s fed.

Kitchen gear that’ll help either way: a digital kitchen scale for the perfectionists, an immersion blender if your sauce ever breaks and you need to save it, a cheese knife set for the parm block you bought and now have to deal with, some parchment paper for easy cleanup, a set of shallow soup bowls because pasta belongs in a bowl not a plate, small tongs for tossing everything together, mini serving spoons for the parm bowl, and a nonstick sheet pan for that garlic bread.

The BEST Marry Me Chicken Pasta Recipe