“Marry Me” Chicken & Tortellini

“Marry Me” Chicken has been circulating on the internet for years (no, I didn’t name this dish). There are numerous versions out there, but the core concept is chicken served with a sun dried tomato cream sauce. Recently, serving this dish with tortellini has been making the rounds on TikTok, so I wanted to give this idea a try!

Is this dish good enough to elicit a marriage proposal? You’ll have to give it a try and let me know. _{(The way to my husband’s heart was definitely steak, and these pretzel dogs.)} What I can tell you is that this dish is packed with flavor and perfect for a date night meal at home! The flavor reminds me a bit of pizza (with the tomatoes, cheese, and oregano). I add a little crush red pepper, which gives the sauce just a tiny bit of kick. You can amp up the quantity to give this dish some real spice if desired.

Key Tips – “Marry Me” Chicken & Tortellini

For best results, use fresh Parmesan cheese.

• If you have the time, grating fresh parmesan from a block yields the best results. The next best parmesan to use is grated parmesan from the refrigerated section. I don’t recommend using powdered parmesan that is not refrigerated at the grocery store, this typically doesn’t melt down well into sauces.

Make sure your chicken is pounded thin.

• As specified in the recipe, make sure you get your chicken breasts very thin, to ensure that they will cook through following this method. If you’re not sure about how to fillet a chicken breast, check out this video!

Wait until the very end to cook the tortellini.

• I recommend that you start boiling the water for the tortellini early on in the prep to give the large pot time to heat up, but most fresh or frozen tortellini need only 3-4 minutes to cook, so wait until everything else is almost done to drop them in.

Bump up the spice.

• This recipe calls for some red pepper flakes, which gives the final sauce a very mild spice. If you’re a spice lover, you may want to double or triple the amount of red pepper flakes.

Variations – “Marry Me” Chicken & Tortellini

Make it without pasta.

• If desired, this can be prepared without the tortellini and served with another carb like rice or potatoes. You can double the amount of chicken, and keep the sauce recipe the same, and the quantity should work out nicely.
• Cook the chicken in batches, do not overcrowd the pan. You don’t need to add the chicken back to the sauce, just plate the cooked chicken and pour the completed sauce over top.

Substitute a different kind of pasta.

• If desired, instead of tortellini, prepare 8-10 oz of dry pasta such as spaghetti or penne. You can otherwise follow the recipe as written.

Dietary Restrictions – “Marry Me” Chicken & Tortellini

This dish cannot be easily adapted to be gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegetarian.

A Note On Serving Sizes

Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. 1/4 of this batch is one standard serving, but some people may want to have more than one serving per meal.

“Marry Me” Chicken & Tortellini

"Marry Me" Chicken features a rich sun dried tomato cream sauce. This version serves it up over a bed of tortellini, which just may elicit a marriage proposal.

4.73 from 18 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 680 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 16-20 oz fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• 2 cups half-and-half or 1 cup cream, 1 cup whole milk
• 1 ½ tsp chicken better than bouillon or chicken bouillon cubes
• ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes drained and chopped fine
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or sub basil or parsley
• 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes add more to make it spicy, or omit if very sensitive to spice
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• olive oil
• garlic powder
• freshly cracked black pepper
• salt

Instructions

 

• Fillet the chicken breast(s) and pound to a thin, even thickness. Season all over with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour flour onto a shallow plate and dredge the chicken in it, shaking off any excess.
• Warm 2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat, sear breasts for about 3 mins per side, until golden, then remove to a cutting board. Slice into the largest piece to ensure it’s cooked through, then tent with foil to keep warm. Do not wipe the pan clean. Turn off the heat to allow the pan to cool slightly.
  
• Meanwhile, begin boiling a large pot of salted water. Cook the tortellini per package instructions while preparing the rest of the meal. Drain and cover to keep warm until needed. (Most cook times are short, so wait until the sauce is almost done)
• In the pan you cooked the chicken, cook the garlic and red pepper flakes over medium heat until fragrant (about 1 minute), add more oil if needed. Next, add the half-and-half and reduce heat to medium low. Add the bouillon and oregano, mix well and scrape any browned bits into the sauce. Once simmering, add the parmesan (reserving a little for garnish) and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is the consistency of thick cream, about 10 minutes.
• After simmering, add the chopped sun dried tomatoes and mix well. Add the chicken back to the pan and spoon sauce over it until it's coated. Warm it in the pan for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a cutting board and cut into bite sized pieces.
• Toss the tortellini in the sauce, then plate into serving dishes. Top with the chicken, then garnish with the reserved parmesan and fresh thyme.

Notes

I did not name this dish, “Marry Me Chicken” has been around for many years and there are many different versions available online, all featuring chicken in a sun dried tomato cream sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25 batchCalories: 680kcal

Keyword Chicken, Marry Me Chicken, Marry Me Chicken & Tortellini, Pasta, Special Occasion, Tortellini

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