Marry Me Chicken Pasta Bake

This Marry Me Chicken pasta bake combines seasoned bite-sized chicken, a silky cream cheese and Parmesan sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach with ridged pasta, then tops it all with mozzarella and a buttery garlic Panko crust before baking until golden. It is a genuinely easy weeknight chicken dinner or casserole that comes together in about 65 minutes, and it is exactly the kind of dish that gets requested again and again.

I am going to tell you how to make delicious and creamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta Bake. Absolutely delicious. You are getting the creaminess, you are getting the decadence, the nutty Parmesan cheese, and that nice little tart taste from the sun dried tomatoes. Not to mention that buttery and garlicky Panko crunch on top!

When it comes to seasoning the chicken, stop being nervous about putting flavor into your foods! People always say, “Oh my goodness, she is adding all of those seasonings!” Let me tell you something, a lot of the seasonings use do not consist of sodium. It is not the number of seasonings you add, but the amount of salt that is the problem. So what are you worried about, right? Load it up!

For this recipe, you are making a silky and smooth sauce. The trick is to keep your heat low. When you are adding your cheeses, especially that whipped cream cheese, you want the sauce to come to a slight and slow simmer. You do not want it to be too hot, because you want those ingredients to take their time and break down gradually.

Why You Will Love This Marry Me Chicken Pasta Bake

• It is Flavor Packed (Without the Salt Overload): We are layering garlic, onion, Italian herbs, and my signature low sodium seasonings so every single bite pops without being overly salty.
• The Smoky Element: Adding smoked paprika to the chicken really brings out that deep flavor profile. It gives the dish a smoky kick that completely elevates the classic Marry Me flavor.
• That Buttery Crunch Topping: We are not just making a pasta bake. We are making a Million Dollar pasta bake! The garlic Parmesan Panko crust on top delivers the most beautiful, golden, and crispy crunch.
• Perfectly Saucy: Those little pasta tunnels and ridges are going to grab onto all that silky sauce, ensuring no dry bites anywhere.

If you love this rich, cream-sauce chicken dinner, you are also going to want to try my Creamy Tuscan Chicken, Marry Me Chicken’s closest cousin and just as easy to fall in love with.

What You Will Need

Special Equipment

• Large heavy bottomed skillet or braiser
• 9×13 inch casserole dish
• Large pot, for boiling pasta
• Whisk
• Mixing bowls
• Meat thermometer, to confirm the chicken is safely cooked through before serving

For the Chicken and Marinade

• 2 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp regular paprika
• 1 tsp smoked paprika, crucial for that smoky flavor!
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp Cooking with Tammy All Purpose Seasoning (or your favorite salt free all purpose)
• 1 tsp Yo Hungry Low Sodium Seasoning

For the Pasta and Sauce

• 1 lb (16 oz) pasta with ridges (like penne or rigatoni)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (if dry, soak briefly; if in oil, drain slightly)
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup chicken broth (water mixed with 1 tsp chicken bouillon)
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 4 to 8 oz whipped cream cheese
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon, adjust to taste, bouillon is salty!
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp regular paprika
• 1 tsp Yo Hungry seasoning (or salt free blend)
• 1 tsp Cooking with Tammy All Purpose seasoning
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup dried Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano)
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese, for assembling

For the Buttery Crunch Topping

• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Let us Get Cooking!

1. Prep the Chicken

Rinse your chicken breasts if that is your preference, and pat dry. Cut into bite sized pieces. Place in a bowl, drizzle with a little oil to help the marinade stick, and season generously with garlic powder, onion powder, regular paprika, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, dried parsley, Cooking with Tammy seasoning, and Yo Hungry low sodium seasoning. Mix well with gloves. A quick food safety note: wash your hands, gloves, and any bowls or surfaces that touched the raw chicken before moving on to the next steps.

2. Cook the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the back of the box (about 18 minutes depending on the brand) until just al dente. Do not overcook, as it will continue cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside. You can reserve a little pasta water if you want to adjust the sauce to pasta ratio later.

3. Brown the Chicken

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer to ensure good surface contact. Brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and its juices from the pan and set aside. It does not need to be cooked 100 percent through right now because it will finish in the oven, but we will confirm it is fully safe to eat before serving in the final step.

4. Start the Sauce and Add Veggies

Lower the heat to medium. To the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes and fresh baby spinach. Cook for just a few seconds until the spinach is wilted.

5. Build the Creaminess and Melt the Cheeses

Pour in the chicken broth, making sure your bouillon to water ratio is not overly salty, and heavy cream. Stir well, scraping up any flavor remnants from the bottom of the pan. Add the whipped cream cheese. Allow the sauce to come to a slight and slow simmer. Do not let it boil rapidly! Slowly simmering allows the cheese to break down gradually into a silky smooth sauce.

6. Season the Sauce

Whisk in the Italian seasoning, a touch of chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, regular paprika, Yo Hungry seasoning, All Purpose seasoning, and Dijon mustard. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the freshly grated Parmesan and the dried Parmesan or Pecorino Romano. Continue whisking until the sauce reaches your desired thickness and texture.

If you love this same creamy, tomato-forward sauce style over a skillet chicken instead of a full pasta bake, my Caprese Chicken Skillet is a great faster option for a weeknight when you want something a little lighter.

7. Combine

Fold the cooked pasta and the browned chicken with all its resting juices into the sauce. Mix well so every ridge and tunnel of the pasta is coated.

8. Make the Crunch Topping

In a small bowl, combine the Panko breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt and black pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and freshly grated Parmesan. Pour in the melted butter and mix until all the Panko is beautifully saturated, garlicky, and buttery.

9. Assemble the Bake

Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish with butter or non stick spray. Spread the cheesy chicken pasta evenly into the dish. Top evenly with the freshly grated mozzarella cheese, a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and a little extra Parmesan. Finally, sprinkle the buttery Panko breadcrumb mixture over the entire top.

10. Bake and Serve

Bake uncovered in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is perfectly melted, bubbly, and the topping is golden brown. Before serving, insert a meat thermometer into a few different chicken pieces from different spots in the dish to confirm they have reached a safe internal temperature of 165°F, since bite-sized pieces buried in a dense casserole can cook a little unevenly. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra fresh parsley, basil, or red chili flakes for a pop of color! If you want to take it up even further at the end, hit it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, some red chili flakes, or even some hot sauce.

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Million Dollar Marry Me Chicken Pasta Bake

Recipe by Sana Rei

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Main CourseCuisine: Italian, AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

650

kcal

Total time (includes baking)

1

hour 

5

minutes

The ultimate creamy, decadent pasta bake! Loaded with perfectly seasoned bite-sized chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, a silky smooth cream cheese and Parmesan sauce, and finished with a crispy, buttery Panko crust.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Large heavy-bottomed skillet

• 9×13-inch baking dish

• Large pot for pasta

• Whisk

• Meat thermometer

• Ingredients:
• Chicken and Marinade

• 1135g (2 1/2 lbs) chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, divided

• 42g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, divided

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp regular paprika

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning, divided

• 1 tsp dried parsley

• 2 tsp Cooking with Tammy All-Purpose Seasoning, divided, or salt-free all-purpose blend

• 2 tsp Yo’ Hungry Low-Sodium Seasoning, divided, or salt-free herb blend

• Pasta and Sauce

• 450g (1 lb) short pasta with ridges, penne or rigatoni

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 55g (1/2 cup) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

• 60g (2 cups) fresh baby spinach

• 240ml (1 cup) chicken broth (1 cup water plus 1 tsp bouillon)

• 360ml (1 1/2 cups) heavy cream

• 170g (6 oz) whipped cream cheese

• 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon, for sauce

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 75g (3/4 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

• 25g (1/4 cup) dried Parmesan or Pecorino Romano

• 170g (1 1/2 cups) freshly grated mozzarella cheese

• Buttery Crunch Topping

• 60g (1 cup) Panko breadcrumbs

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

• 25g (1/4 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 42g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions

• Rinse (optional) and pat dry the chicken breasts. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle with oil, then season with garlic powder, onion powder, regular paprika, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, dried parsley, all-purpose seasoning, and low-sodium seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Wash hands, gloves, and surfaces afterward.
• Boil the pasta in salted water until just al dente. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and butter. Brown the seasoned chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken and juices from the pan and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Saute minced garlic for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Add the sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach. Cook until spinach wilts.
• Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Stir well.
• Add the whipped cream cheese. Keep the heat on a slight, slow simmer to melt the cheese smoothly without breaking the sauce.
• Whisk in the bouillon, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, all-purpose seasoning, and low-sodium seasoning.
• Whisk in the freshly grated Parmesan and dried Parmesan or Pecorino Romano until the sauce is thick and silky.
• Fold the cooked pasta and browned chicken, with its juices, into the sauce until evenly coated.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish. Top evenly with mozzarella cheese.
• In a small bowl, mix the Panko, salt and pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Parmesan, and melted butter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the pasta bake.
• Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Insert a meat thermometer into a few different chicken pieces from different spots in the dish to confirm they reach 165°F before serving. Let cool 10 minutes, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve.

Notes

• Tomato Talk: Do not swap the sun-dried tomatoes for regular fresh tomatoes. The taste and flavor profile are absolutely different, and you need that concentrated tartness to cut through the cream.
• Cheese Tip: Allow your sauce to come to a slight, slow simmer before adding the cheeses. High boiling heat will cause the dairy to curdle and break.
• Panko Swaps: Panko is the best way to go for that perfect buttery crunch. Regular breadcrumbs work in a pinch, but the texture will not be quite as crispy.
• Chicken Safety: The chicken is intentionally left slightly undercooked when browned so it finishes in the oven. Always confirm doneness with a meat thermometer at 165°F, checking a few different pieces from different spots in the dish before serving.
• Cross-Contamination: Wash hands, gloves, and surfaces after handling raw chicken.
• Allergen Note: Contains dairy (heavy cream, cream cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella, butter) and gluten (pasta, Panko).
• Next Level: Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a dash of hot sauce right on your plate.
• Nutrition: Calories are estimated and will vary based on cheese amount and pasta portion size.