Name: Marry Me Chicken with Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces dry fettuccine (+ 1/4 cup reserved pasta water); 2 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 pound chicken breasts2 (boneless, skinless); salt and pepper (to taste); 4 ounces fresh mushrooms (slices); 2 cloves garlic (grated); 1/4 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc OR pinot grigio); 3/4 cup chicken stock; 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil (drained); 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated); 1 tablespoon all purpose flour; 1 cup whipping cream; 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley; 3 tablespoons fresh basil (sliced in ribbons)

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Marry Me Chicken with Pasta ~ tender chicken in a creamy irresistible sauce with tangy sun dried tomatoes, earthy mushrooms and fresh herbs blended with fettuccine. This easy 30 minute recipe loaded with flavor.

What the heck is Marry Me Chicken? I’ll admit when I first heard the name I wondered too but at the same time thought hey ~ the 1950s called and wants their recipe back.

The original Marry Me Chicken recipe (not to be confused with Ina Garten’s Engagement Chicken) pairs bone-in chicken thighs with a creamy sauce. The photos looks delicious but my first thought was that a sauce so amazing it had so many people talking practically begged to be served over pasta.

That version is also a slower cook method requiring more time. Marry Me Chicken with Pasta in 30 minutes? Challenge accepted.

This is my 30 minute version making it a great weeknight option that’s (trust me on this) gourmet enough to entertain with.

So where did the name came from?

What’s in a name?

As the story goes, the dish came about a few years ago when the editors at Delish took one bite of the chicken and declared: “I’d marry you for that chicken!”. Of course it’s 2019 so this dish isn’t just for gals trying to snag a man (does anyone really say that any more?).

It’s for anyone who wants an incredibly good chicken pasta dish ~ man or woman ~ weeknight, weekend or even entertaining because let’s face it ~ reservations are overrated. Enter: Marry Me Chicken with Pasta.

My version:

In this version, I left out some of the herbs from the original recipe ~ starting with crushed red pepper, added a pile of sliced mushrooms, some white wine for a deeper-flavored sauce and thickened the sauce so it coats all that yummy pasta.

The result: a silky, creamy irresistible sauce with bites of rustic mushroom, tangy-sweet sun dried tomatoes and of course, pasta. My daughter said the taste is “heaven in my mouth”.

Marry Me Chicken Ingredients:

dry fettuccine + reserved pasta water (spinach fettuccine used)
butter
olive oil
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
salt and pepper
fresh mushrooms
garlic cloves
white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio – not sweet like Moscato)
chicken stock
sun dried tomatoes in oil
parmesan cheese
all purpose flour
whipping cream
flat leaf parsley
fresh basil

How to make Marry Me Chicken:

Slice or pound the chicken breasts thin then season them on both sides with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente then reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and drain.

To a large skillet add the butter and the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat then carefully place the chicken in, searing 3-4 minutes per side then remove it from the skillet.

Add the mushrooms and grated garlic cooking 3-4 minutes until lightly brown then season with salt and pepper.

Pour the wine in the skillet scraping any browned bits from the bottom (this is added flavor!) and cook 2-3 minutes reducing it, then fold in the chicken stock and drained sun dried tomatoes. Slice the chicken and add it to the skillet as well then simmer another 3-4 minutes so the tomatoes are tender.

In a small bowl toss the parmesan cheese and flour together to thicken the sauce as it cooks. Lower the heat to medium low and pour the cream, parmesan/flour, reserved pasta water, chopped parsley and basil stirring to blend. Cook 5-6 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

Add the pasta to the skillet, gently tossing to coat it. Optional: garnish with extra parmesan cheese and serve right away.

What to serve with this dish?

Along with the pasta, I recommend a nice bakery bread or some warm rolls. If you’d like a vegetable, go green with fresh oven roasted asparagus or steamed green beans.

Need more chicken inspiration? Try this Cheesy Chicken Pasta with Brussels Sprouts.

Enjoy!

If you tried this Marry Me Chicken recipe or any other on the blog then I’d love to hear from you with a comment or star rating in the recipe box!

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