Marry Me Chicken Pasta (2024)

By Emmeline Kemperyd on June 25, 2023, updated June 8, 2023 - 5 Comments

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Make this flavor packed Marry Me Chicken Pasta in just 20 minutes - and don't be surprised if everyone asks for seconds (or your hand in marriage!). It's a super creamy sauce with a delicious flavor combo of crème fraîche, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, paprika & oregano. All achieved with pantry staple dried herbs & minimal prep.

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Why you will love this recipe
Why is it called Marry Me Chicken?
What you need to make it
How to make Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Storing, freezing and reheating leftoves
More delicious crème fraîche pastas
Recipe
Reviews

This Marry me Chicken Pasta is one of my favorite pasta recipes and a delicious chicken recipe. The flavors are amazing, and it's so easy to make thanks to the use of dried herbs. It's almost all pantry ingredients - just add crème fraîche and chicken!

Why you will love this recipe

It's quick - all done in 20 minutes, prep included
It's easy - just a few simple steps
Loaded with flavor from sun-dried tomatoes & all those dried herbs
Crème fraîche lightens it up and makes it less heavy than a cream pasta
Only dried herbs for a super easy dinner
Marriage proposal not guaranteed - but highly likely!

Why is it called Marry Me Chicken?

Marry Me Chicken is a chicken dish that gets its name from the Marry Me Chicken recipe being SO GOOD that whoever you serve it to will instantly propose. Now I have yet to get a proposal out of this pasta version, but everyone who has ever tried it has raved about how good it is.

What you need to make it

Ingredient notes & substitutions

Pasta - choose your favorite kind, I like a short kind like penne or fusilli for this recipe, but you can also use a long kind like spaghetti or angel hair pasta
Sun-dried tomatoes - I always use the kind that comes in oil. You can use dry as well but then you need to rehydrate them first by covering with hot water and allowing to soak for an hour or more.
Butter can be swapped for olive oil or other oil
Chicken thigh filets have much more flavor than chicken breasts - but either works

What can I use instead of crème fraîche?

Instead of crème fraîche you can use cream (heavy cream, light, or half and half). If you still want the acidic touch, add some lemon juiceas well - about 1 tablespoon 1 cup (240 ml) of cream.

You can also use flavored crème fraîche, which makes it even quicker & easier. Try to match the flavors of the recipe and skip the dried herbs and tomato paste.

How to make Marry Me Chicken Pasta

Melt butter in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat, then add garlic cloves. Sauté for a minute and take care so it doesn't burn.
Add chicken and season with salt and pepper
Cook 3-5 minutes until just cooked through. Then remove chicken and garlic from the pan and set aside for now - throw away the garlic.
Now get the pasta cooking in a large pot, and then place the pan back over the heat. Raise the heat to medium-high heat and add in the tomato paste. Fry for a few minutes.

Add in all the dried herbs and mix
Add in crème fraîche
Mix until the crème fraîche is melted. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat to medium, and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until the pasta is almost done.
Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Stir to combine
Mix in the chicken
Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce, and mix well
Leave on the heat for 2 minutes, then taste test and season with salt & pepper if needed. Garnish with some dried basil, and serve!

Tips & tricks

Use whole garlic cloves for subtle flavor that's not overpowering - as well as no garlic breath!
Fry the chicken in the same pan you will make the sauce in - otherwise you're missing out on lots of great taste
Fry the tomato paste to deepen the flavor
Don't overcook the pasta - it will finish cooking in the sauce

Storing, freezing and reheating leftoves

Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

Freezing: Freeze leftovers to keep them for up to 3 months.

Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1 minute increments.

More delicious crème fraîche pastas

Love the lighter feel of a crème fraîche pasta? Then try these recipes!

Salmon Crème Fraîche Pasta
15-minute Creme Fraiche Carbonara with Bacon

Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.

Recipe

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

5 from 23 votes

Print Rate

Ingredients

▢ ⅔ lb penne pasta cooked 1 minute less than instructed on package
▢ 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
▢ 2 garlic cloves peeled and slightly crushed, but still in one piece
▢ 1 lb chicken thigh filets or chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces
▢ ½ teaspoon fine table salt
▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ 2 tablespoon tomato paste
▢ 1 tablespoon dried basil + more to serve (optional)
▢ 1 tablespoon paprika powder
▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
▢ 2 cups crème fraiche
▢ 1 cups sun-dried tomatoes chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Melt the butter over medium heat then add in the garlic and fry for 1 minute.
1 tablespoon butter, 2 garlic cloves
Add in the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Then remove the chicken and garlic from the pan and set aside for now.
1 lb chicken thigh filets, ½ teaspoon fine table salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Start cooking the pasta, and cook it 1 minute less than instructed on the package.
⅔ lb penne pasta
Place the pan back over the heat with the melted butter and chicken juices still in it. Raise the heat to medium-high and add in tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
2 tablespoon tomato paste
Add dried basil, paprika powder, onion powder and oregano and mix well.
1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon paprika powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Add in the crème fraîche and mix well until the crème fraîche has melted. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat to medium, and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes or until you're ready to add in the pasta.
2 cups crème fraiche
Remove the garlic cloves from the chicken, then mix in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the cooked chicken with the sauce. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce as well. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
1 cups sun-dried tomatoes, ⅔ lb penne pasta
Taste test, season if needed with salt and ground black pepper, top with some dried basil, and serve!

Equipment (may contain affiliate links)

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Skillet or frying pan*
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Chopping board*
▢
Kitchen knife*
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Measuring spoons*
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Measuring cups (metric or US)*

Video

Notes

Pasta- choose your favorite kind,I like a short kindlike penne or fusilli for this recipe
Sun-dried tomatoes- I always use the kind that comesin oil. You can usedryas well but then you need to rehydrate them first by covering with hot water and allowing to soak for an hour or more.
Use whole garlic clovesfor subtle flavor that's not overpowering - as well as no garlic breath!
Fry the chicken in the same panyou will make the sauce in - otherwise you're missing out on lots of great taste
Fry the tomato pasteto deepen the flavor
Don't overcook the pasta- it will finish cooking in the sauce

Storing, freezing and reheating

Storing:Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

Freezing: Freeze leftovers to keep them for up to 3 months.

Reheating:Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1 minute increments.

Nutrition

Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.

Did you make this? Tag me today!Tag @alwaysusebutter and use the hashtag #alwaysusebutter!

More Crème Fraîche Pasta Recipes

Sundried Tomato Pasta with Chicken
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta with Crème Fraîche

About Emmeline Kemperyd

Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has more than 20 years of experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, Daily Kos, The Grio, The Asian Parent, and The Feed Feed, among others.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Althea
December 05, 2023 at 6:20 pm
Hi. Can I substitute sun dried tomatoes with fresh tomatoes or ketchup?
Reply
- Emmeline Kemperyd
  December 07, 2023 at 9:29 am
  Hi Althea, I wouldn't recommend it! The sun-dried tomatoes add so much flaovr and it just won't be the same without them. If you want to make a really delicious pasta with fresh tomatoes instead, I recommend one of these instead:
  Pink Pasta - https://alwaysusebutter.com/pink-pasta-sauce/
  Vodka Pasta - https://alwaysusebutter.com/spicy-vodka-pasta-penne-alla-vodka/
  If you do still decide to make this, definitely don't use ketchup - fresh tomatoes and a bit more tomato paste will be a better option.
  /Emmeline
  Reply
Katya
October 24, 2023 at 7:47 am

I'm currently obsessed with sundried tomatoes so I had to give this recipe a try and it is so delicious! I used gluten free noodles out of necessity and the creaminess of this dish helps to compensate for gluten free often being a bit on the dry side. This is the perfect middle of the week recipe for when you want something restaurant quality in just 20 minutes.
Reply
Madison Hogg
October 05, 2023 at 7:05 pm

I love this recipe! I made it for my husband on a pretty stressful day and it really turned things around. Two days later, he was asking when I would make it again. I made my own creme fraiche for it, which was a fun experiment and turned out great!
Reply
- Emmeline Kemperyd
  October 06, 2023 at 7:57 am
  Hi Madison! Thank you for your comment! And so happy your husband liked it 🙂 Wow making creme fraiche sounds like a fun experiment. Would you mind sharing the recipe you used? Would love to add a link to it for others that want to try! /Emmeline
  Reply

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