Description
This Easy Marry Me Chicken Pasta features juicy chicken in a creamy tomato sauce, tossed with penne pasta. Inspired by a viral TikTok trend, it’s a flavorful and surprisingly simple weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Chicken Breast: Cut into bite-sized pieces, seasoned with paprika and garlic powder.
- 250 g (9 oz) Penne Rigate Pasta: Or substitute with rotini, fusilli, or farfalle.
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Olive Oil: For searing chicken and sautéing aromatics.
- 1 Medium Onion (≈150 g / 5.3 oz): Finely diced.
- 3 Cloves Garlic (≈15 g / 0.5 oz): Minced.
- 1 tsp (5 g) Ground Cumin: Adds warmth and earthiness.
- 1 tsp (5 g) Smoked Paprika: Key flavor component.
- 400 g (14 oz) Crushed Tomatoes: No added sugar preferred.
- 200 ml (¾ cup) Heavy Cream: Or full-fat plant-based cream.
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Spinach Leaves: Fresh.
- 50 g (½ cup) Parmesan Cheese: Grated.
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Lemon Juice: Fresh.
- 1 Lemon: Zest of 1 lemon.
- 50 g (½ cup) Pine Nuts: Toasted.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste.
- Basil Leaves: Torn, for garnish.
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil penne until al dente, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
- Prepare Chicken: Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Sear Chicken: Sear chicken in olive oil until golden brown and cooked through.
- Sauté Aromatics: Sauté onion, then add garlic, cumin, and paprika.
- Simmer Sauce: Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Create Creamy Sauce: Stir in cream and lemon juice, return chicken and spinach.
- Combine Pasta: Toss pasta with sauce.
- Finish & Serve: Stir in Parmesan, garnish with pine nuts and basil.
Notes
Reserving pasta water helps bind the sauce. Patting chicken dry before searing ensures browning.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
Keywords: pasta,chicken,easy,weeknight,italian,creamy,tiktok,marry me chicken