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Creamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta

Creamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta is a skillet-style dinner with tender sliced chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and a silky garlic-Parmesan cream sauce tossed with penne. You’ll get a restaurant-style finish with wilted spinach and basil on top.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 860
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz penne pasta
  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta and season the chicken
  1. Cook penne pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and set aside.
  2. Season sliced chicken breasts with paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
Sear and build the creamy sauce
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  2. Add seasoned chicken and cook, turning once if needed, until golden and cooked through, then remove and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet, sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds, stirring constantly until fragrant.
  4. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute to warm and deepen their flavor.
  5. Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring to combine, then simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
  6. Stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth, keeping the sauce at a gentle simmer.
  7. Add baby spinach and cook until wilted, stirring to coat it in the sauce.
Combine and finish
  1. Return cooked chicken to the skillet and stir to combine with the creamy sauce.
  2. Toss in drained cooked pasta and stir until the pasta is fully coated.
  3. Garnish with chopped fresh basil and additional Parmesan before serving.

Notes

For the smoothest sauce, keep it at a gentle simmer when adding Parmesan so it melts without clumping. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of chicken broth or cream to loosen. Freezing isn’t recommended due to sauce texture changes. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (the sauce will be slightly less thick).