Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Creamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta is an easy one-pot dinner with tender chicken, penne, sundried tomatoes, spinach, and a rich Parmesan cream sauce.
Servings: 6 servings (1.33 cups each)
Calories: 415kcal
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Large Skillet (with lid)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp sundried tomato oil from jar divided, (or olive oil) $0.00
- 1 lb. chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes (2 breasts, 453g) $2.57*
- 1 tsp salt divided, $0.04
- 1 tsp black pepper divided, (freshly cracked) $0.16
- ½ onion small dice, (1 cup, 155g) $0.30
- 4 garlic cloves minced, (2 Tbsp) $0.24
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, (thinly sliced, 90g) $1.97
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste $0.16
- 2½ cups chicken broth 20oz., $0.33**
- 8 oz. penne pasta uncooked, $0.49***
- 1½ tsp Italian seasoning $0.30
- ½ cup heavy cream room temperature, (4oz.) $0.62
- ⅓ cup frozen spinach thawed and pressed, (80g) $0.30****
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated, (40g) $0.96
Instructions
- Gather and prepare all ingredients.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of sundried tomato oil. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season evenly with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
- Once hot, add the cubed chicken to the skillet in an even layer. Sear in batches if needed. Cook the chicken undisturbed for 3 minutes, then flip, and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining sundried tomato oil, onions, garlic, and sliced sundried tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften.
- Add the tomato paste and stir for about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth, penne pasta, remaining salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, and the chicken with any of their drippings to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a medium simmer. Place a lid on top and cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, stir the ingredients, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Place the lid back on and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and check on the doneness of the pasta. Add an additional splash of chicken broth if they are not fully cooked and the pan gets dry. Once cooked, turn off the heat.
- Stir in the heavy cream and frozen spinach until warmed and combined.
- Sprinkle on the fresh Parmesan and enjoy.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
*I like using chicken breasts in this recipe because the leaner meat works well with the rich, creamy sauce, and the quick cook time keeps it from drying out. But feel free to use 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer!
**I use Better Than Bouillon to make broths to keep costs low. One little pot makes a lot, and you can keep it in the fridge for ages!
***You can also use other pasta like rigatoni, farfalle (bowtie), or fusilli. Make sure to read the cooking instructions and adjust the amount of chicken broth if necessary.
****Fresh spinach (about 3 oz) also works if you don't have frozen spinach. Let it wilt into the sauce at the end.
Sun-dried tomatoes note: I use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for this recipe. If you only have dry packed, you'll need to rehydrate them with hot water or steep them in olive oil (which can take several hours). The sun-dried tomato oil is priced at $0.00 cost because I used the oil from the same jar of sun-dried tomatoes that I had already purchased and cost out for this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (1.33 cup) | Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 17g | Sodium: 1051mg | Fiber: 3g