One Pan Marry Me Chicken + Pasta Bake

Legend has it that she made this one pan marry me chicken + pasta bake and he hasn’t been able to keep his hands off her since. A love story that all started over dinner. And I understand because it’s so delicious and creamy and makes the house smell like a brick-oven pizza while it’s cooking. 

How to make this marry me chicken + pasta bake

After we’ve pounded the chicken to 1/2 inch thick, we can season it, dredge it in flour and pan fry with some olive oil. Remove the chicken from the pan and deglaze with dry white wine. Scrape up all the stuck-on bits from the pan. This is a product of the Maillard reaction, where meat browns and almost caramelizes, producing an incredibly deep and almost sweet flavor that will contribute to the sauce. Stir in the tomato paste until smooth. Then we’ll pour in the rest of our sauce ingredients – chicken broth, heavy cream, shredded parmesan, sundried tomatoes, and seasonings. Bring that to a boil and add in a simple flour slurry to thicken the sauce. Mix in the pasta. Finally, we’ll top with our prepared chicken. At the end of the bake, we’ll top with more shredded parmesan cheese and, lastly, basil. 

Cooking tips

• Be sure that the pasta is completely submerged in the sauce. Pasta that isn’t coated in sauce may not cook properly.
• Don’t forget that the pan is hot as you take it in and out of the oven. I made this mistake!
• It’s best to take the pan out of the oven when the pasta is still slightly al dente. The pasta will continue to cook out of the oven.
• Use FRESH parmesan cheese that you have shredded yourself. I have found that pre-shredded parmesan cheese doesn’t melt well.

Can you make this meal ahead of time?

I don’t recommend making any meal that includes pasta ahead of time. Reheating pasta is tricky to not overcook and make dry. However, there are a few things you can prep to make a weekday dinner easier:

• Pound the chicken into 1/2 inch thick pieces. I like to cut breasts into portion sizes if they are too large. Season with salt and pepper. Package the breasts up and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Salting the chicken ahead of time will actually produce a more tender cut of meat.
• Shred the parmesan, package and store in the fridge for up to a week.
• Chiffonade the basil, package and store in the fridge for up to 10 days.
• Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Kitchen essentials

• A cutting board and a chef’s knife
• A meat tenderizer
• A plate
• An oven-safe pan, 12″ diameter or larger. I used my 12″ Made In pan that I love.
• Measuring cups/measuring spoons
• Tongs
• A small cup or bowl
• A large serving spoon

Substitutions

• White wine: can be replaced with equal parts chicken broth.