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One Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta. Pan-seared Italian seasoned chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. Cooked together with pasta and spinach, then finished with freshly grated parmesan cheese and Italian basil. An incredibly simple one-pot dinner that happens to be delicious. Everyone will ask for seconds!
I’m in a one-pot pasta phase as we head into spring. With last Sunday’s time change, my excitement for spring and springtime recipes is heightening! I want to add more herbs, more vegetables, and more color into every dish! I love how the changing of the seasons brings on new inspiration. Especially after winter!!
And the ease of using only one pot for a pasta dish gives me more time to enjoy that extra sunlight. This feels like a nice transitional style dinner that’s a mix of cozy and light as we head into warmer, longer spring days.
After returning from travel last week (which included dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant), I had a strong desire to create an Italian-style dinner for the family. I really wanted to make a pasta I knew we all would find so yummy!
Mary Me Chicken has quickly become one of our favorites. It’s simple to make yet has so much flavor. I also like to make my own homemade Italian seasoning, so I added that in too. We all really loved this!
There’s a reason why it is called Marry Me chicken. It’s definitely delicious enough to encourage a marriage proposal!
Let’s Dive Into The Details
Ingredients
- oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- Italian seasoning – I shared my mix below
- salted butter
- garlic
- dry shortcut pasta
- chili flakes
- whole milk
- cream cheese
- parmesan cheese
- fresh Italian basil
Special Tools
For this pasta, you need a large pot. A cutting board and a good knife. The basics and nothing else!
Steps
Step 1: cook the chicken
The first step should be to prepare the chicken. Using scissors, I like to cut the chicken directly over the pot I will be cooking with. Trust me, prepping the chicken this way will save so much time and create less mess. We all love less mess!
Add the chicken to a big pot with the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomato jar. Add the Italian seasoning and start cooking!
When the chicken is seared and cooked through, scoop it out of the pot. Set aside on a plate.
Step 2: the pasta and the sauce
Now add the butter to the pot, along with the garlic and remaining seasoning. I like to use 2 spoonfuls of seasoning on the chicken and then 2 spoonfuls of the sauce. You want this to be REALLY delicious.
Cook the garlic in the butter with the seasonings until fragrant. The kitchen will smell great!
Drop in the dry pasta and toss it with the butter, then add a couple cups of water. Cook the pasta until it is all dente.
Step 3: finish the pasta
To finish the pasta, add the milk. Make sure to use whole milk for the best results and the creamiest pasta. Toss in a couple ounces of creamy cheese and then lots of spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the chicken back in. Stir and cook the pasta over low heat until it is very creamy. Once the pasta is done, take it off the heat. Add all the basil. It will instantly smell so delicious!
As with most pasta recipes, you’ll want to serve this immediately while it’s at its most delicious stage!
The Italian Seasoning
I love to use a mix of dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and dried sage.
Then, I add some smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and chili flakes for spice.
If I have any mix left over, I store it in a glass jar.
And that’s it, this is very simple dish. And thanks to the Italian seasonings being packed with flavor, this pasta has a minimal ingredient list!
You and your family will enjoy!
Looking for other meals? Here are a few ideas:
Crockpot Herb Butter Chicken and Wild Rice
Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup with Rosemary Bacon.
Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese
One Pan Chipotle Honey Chicken and Rice
One Pan Lemon Pepper Yogurt Chicken and Rice
Lastly, if you make this One Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 544 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
- salt and black pepper
- 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3/4 -1 pound short cut pasta
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cups chopped baby spinach
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, cook the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar with the chicken and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Scoop the chicken out of the pot and set aside.2. Add the butter, garlic, and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the pasta and 2 cups of water. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in the milk, cream cheese, and parmesan. Mix until creamy.3. Slide the chicken into the pasta, add the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan, and gently mix. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.4. Serve the pasta immediately with fresh parmesan and basil. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on March 12, 2025
Could I make this in the crockpot? Or maybe cook it ahead of time and throw it in the crockpot to stay warm?
Hi Elizabeth,
Sure, you could make ahead and keep on warm in the crockpot. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This was a little too bland for my family. I would add more garlic and maybe more Italian seasoning. There wasn’t quite enough liquid for the pasta to cook to al dente. I added some water, but next time I will just hope the milk is absorbed into the pasta.
Hi Karen,
So sorry to hear your family did not enjoy this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
Was so excited to try this recipe but ended up being a let down. 2 cups is not enough to boil the pasta, and heavy cream should have been used in place of whole milk (the sauce was not creamy at all). Also you have ‘add Parmesan’ in two different steps. A bit confusing. If I try this again I will boil the pasta separately and use heavy cream.
Hi Kara,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
What do you consider “short cut” pasta? I’ve never heard of it and the link only takes me to Target. I don’t see anything special about the pasta on that page.
Hi Carolyn,
It’s just any noodle that is short and not long, some examples are penne, bow ties, cavatelli. I hope this helps! xx
Let me start by saying I love your Marry Me Chicken and the added pasta in this recipe is delicious as well! I did want to express a little frustration over the amount of water in this recipe and others you say to use when cooking about a pound of pasta. 2 cups simply is nowhere near enough. I gathered that and added more but since the pasta isn’t drained I worry the extra water dilutes the flavor. Perhaps you could adjust the seasonings to accommodate for that? I have never had cooked pasta in such a small amount of liquid.
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear you are having issues cooking the pasta. I would try turning your heat down next time, let the pasta cook at a very low boil and stir often. That is my trick for these types of recipes. I hope this helps! xx
The family really enjoyed this! I did have to cook mine longer and add more water to cook my pasta but I think it was my fault for picking a thicker corkscrew type pasta. Needless to say, it was worth the wait. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Melinda,
Amazing:) Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great week!!
Is the pasta cooked before adding? Not sure how it cooks the pasta…mine was still hard
Hi Christi,
The pasta is cooked in the dish. How much water did you use? Sounds like your pasta just needed a bit more time to cook. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
This was pretty good! I used 1% milk instead of whole milk and it still turned out creamy. It was simple to make and came together fast. A great weeknight dinner for when you need something simple.
Hey Melanie,
Happy Sunday!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was enjoyed:) x
Can you use half-and-half instead of whole milk?
Hi Jill,
Sure, that should be just fine for you to do. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
What type of pasta is that? Please 🙏
Hi Suzan,
Here is the link for the pasta that I used:
https://go.skimresources.com/?id=135293X1598627&isjs=1&jv=15.7.1&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.halfbakedharvest.com%2Fcorn-pasta-alfredo%2F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiadzy.com%2Fcollections%2Fshort-pasta%2Fproducts%2Fgiadzy-taccole-pasta&xs=1&xtz=240&xuuid=2dd315c5ee20acfb58b2cd534a5fd403&xcust=G_z_JfQafaAvaJxlTCz63%7Eplt%7Clm&xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B0%5D&xcreo=500008
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi Tieghan! Thank you for all your delicious recipes! I’m planning on making this tonight and wanted to clarify a few details.
Italian Seasoning Mix:
Mix
2T – dried basil
2T – dried oregano
2t – dried thyme
1t – dried rosemary
1t – dried sage
*Use 4t from this mix for the recipe. Is this correct?
What are the amounts for the spices below? I couldn’t find it on the link you provided. Is it 1t of each or different amounts?
*garlic powder
*onion powder
*smoked paprika
*chili flakes
Thank you so much!
Hi Jennifer,
Here are the measurements:
▢ 1 tablespoon fennel seed
▢ 1 tablespoon dried thyme
▢ 1 tablespoon dried basil
▢ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
▢ 1 tablespoon salt
▢ 1 tablespoon pepper
▢ 2 teaspoons cayenne (or less for less spicy)
▢ 2 teaspoons paprika
▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
▢ 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Use 4 teaspoons of this mix for the pasta recipe. I hope this helps! xx
Hi there! I have celiac and of course will be using gf pasta. I’m planning on using refrigerated fettuccine and cutting into pieces. Any preparation modifications I need to make? I will be making this tonight!
Thanks in advance!
Hi Julie,
My guess is the water would need to be reduced, but I am not actually sure as I have not tested this recipe with fresh pasta. I would probably cook according to package instructions. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Turned out delicious!
Hey Julie,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit! Have the best weekend:)
Do you drain the pasta water ?
Hi Sylvia,
No need to drain the water:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Friday! xx
This recipe looks delicious! Any suggestions for a pasta substitute?
Hi Christy,
Do you mean like a gluten free pasta? That would be just fine for you to use. I hope you love this recipe! xx
This looks delicious and so easy to make. What would you suggest instead of cream cheese? I can’t eat any cheese because of an allergy. Milk is fine, but would be skim. I have another one pot recipe that uses milk and some pasta water to thicken the sauce – would that work here? Any other tips? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on alterations!
Hi Amelia,
Thanks so much! I would use a dairy free cream cheese or a dairy free ricotta, either of those would be great options for you. Yes, skim milk will be just fine to use as well. I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you! xx