Quick, Creamy 'Marry Me' Chicken Pasta
Silky fettuccine ribbons, swimming in a creamy sauce, packed with sundried tomatoes, juicy chicken, parmesan, garlic and spinach? Yes, please. It's quick, easy and while it has a bit of a silly name, 'Marry Me' chicken pasta is a fab one for weeknights and special occasions.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 815kcal
Ingredients
- 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs diced (400g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes drained
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes optional
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 14 oz dried pasta of your choice (400g)
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. Set a large, high-sided pan over medium-high heat, then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced chicken thighs and cook for about 6 minutes on each side, until lovely and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the onions. To the same pan, add the diced onion along with another tablespoon of olive oil and reduce the heat to low. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, then cook the onions, stirring, for a couple of minutes, then add the chicken stock and continue to cook until the onions start to soften and change colour (they'll start looking see-through).At this point, add the crushed garlic and stir it through the onion for another minute.
- Add sundried tomatoes and sour cream. Pour in the fish sauce, lemon juice, sundried tomatoes, dried thyme and chilli flakes, then stir to combine in the pan. Add the sour cream and stir to make a lovely, creamy sauce. Add the parmesan, stir again, then reduce the heat, add the chicken back into the sauce, and let the sauce simmer while you cook the pasta.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water (add at least one heaped tablespoon) to a boil, then add the pasta and cook until al dente (cooked, still with a little bite to it). This normally will take around 8 minutes, but use your packet to guide you here.
- Finish the sauce. Add the spinach leaves to the sauce and stir as they wilt, then transfer the pasta straight from the pot into the sauce. Add about ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then toss the pasta through the sauce.As you toss, the sauce will thicken and become super glossy as it coats every strand. Finish by adding most of the basil leaves and a good grind of black pepper, toss again, then divide between plates. Serve with more grated parmesan and the rest of the basil leaves.
Notes
PREP AHEAD: You can make the sauce up until adding the spinach leaves up to 3 days before you want to serve the pasta. Just store it in the fridge, then cook the pasta, add the spinach leaves to the sauce before adding the pasta and finishing the recipe.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Once the sauce is mixed with the pasta, it's best served right away. Pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits in a sauce, so the texture will change and soften. You can still absolutely enjoy leftovers - just add a splash of water when you reheat it to loosen up the sauce. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
INGREDIENT NOTES: Swap sour cream for heavy (double) cream, half and half, or creme fraiche. You could use chicken breasts if you like. I prefer this recipe with long pasta shapes like spaghetti, linguine, bucatini or fettuccine, but you can use whatever you like.
Nutrition
Serving: 350g | Calories: 815kcal | Carbohydrates: 88.4g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 34.3g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12.9g | Trans Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 1226mg | Potassium: 1025mg | Fiber: 5.6g | Sugar: 8.6g | Vitamin A: 2219IU | Vitamin C: 29.5mg | Calcium: 281mg | Iron: 3.8mg