Marry Me Pasta Dish

This indulgent creamy chicken pasta brings Italian flavors right to your table for both casual weeknights and fancy dinners. The velvety sauce with sun-dried tomatoes hugs every bit of tender chicken and gluten-free pasta, making a meal everyone will remember.

I whipped this pasta up while trying to copy a dish from a local restaurant that completely won over my partner. Now we make it whenever we've got something to celebrate, and it never fails to bring joy.

Essential Components

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: They bring juiciness and tenderness to the dish; dark meat makes everything richer. Go for organic when you can.
• Sun dried tomatoes: The oil-packed ones add concentrated flavor. Cook your chicken in their oil for extra tastiness.
• Heavy cream: Creates the smooth, rich sauce base. Grass fed options give the best taste.
• Parmesan cheese: Grate it yourself for the creamiest sauce possible. Skip the pre-shredded stuff with additives.
• Gluten free farfalle pasta: Catches all the yummy sauce in its nooks. Any shorter pasta shape will work too.
• Fresh spinach: Adds nice color and healthy stuff. Look for crisp, bright green leaves.
• Italian seasoning blend: Gives complex flavors without needing tons of separate herbs.
• Smoked sweet paprika: Adds a hint of smokiness that makes the whole dish better.

Cooking Instructions

Get Your Chicken Ready:

Cover chicken thighs with paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper on all sides. Heat up the oil from your sun dried tomatoes in a big pan until it's hot, then put the chicken in without overcrowding. Cook for exactly 3 minutes on each side until golden, then lower heat and cover. This slow-cooking trick keeps the chicken juicy while reaching 165°F safely.

Start Your Sauce Base:

Use the same chicken pan to melt butter, capturing all those tasty brown bits. Toss in dried shallots, chopped onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and tomato paste along with your seasonings. Cook slowly for 2 minutes until everything smells amazing and starts to caramelize. This mix forms the foundation of your incredible sauce.

Make It Creamy:

Dust flour over your aromatics and stir for half a minute to cook away the raw taste. Slowly pour in chicken broth while stirring to avoid clumps, then add the heavy cream. Let everything bubble gently until the sauce sticks to your spoon. Drop in spinach and watch as it softens into the sauce, adding pretty green flecks.

Mix It All Together:

Add your cut-up chicken and cooked pasta into the thick sauce, making sure everything gets completely covered. Keep the heat low now so your sauce stays smooth. Throw some fresh basil on top right before serving to add color and fresh smell.

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The sun dried tomatoes really make this dish special. Their rich, strong flavor runs throughout every bite, reminding me of my time in Italy. My partner always grabs these bright red pieces first, saying they're the highlight of the whole meal.

Keeping Leftovers

This pasta stays good in a sealed container in your fridge for about 3 days. When you warm it up, add a little cream or chicken broth to loosen the sauce, which will have gotten thicker in the cold. Heat it slowly on medium-low, stirring now and then until hot. Try not to use the microwave if you can help it - it might make your sauce split and your pasta rubbery.

Nailing The Pasta

Getting gluten free pasta just right comes down to timing. Always taste it a minute before the box says it's done, as gluten free types can go from perfect to mushy real fast. Save a cup of the cooking water before draining - its starchiness helps thicken the sauce if needed. Only rinse the pasta if the package tells you to; otherwise, that light starchy coating helps sauce stick better.

Tweak It Your Way

You can easily change up this dish based on what's in your kitchen. Try using kale or arugula instead of spinach for a different flavor. Adding mushrooms works great too - just cook them with your onions and garlic. Want something lighter? Use half cream and half chicken broth. If you can't do dairy, try full fat coconut milk and nutritional yeast, though it'll taste quite different.

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Frequently Asked Questions

→ Which pasta should I pick?

Farfalle is a great choice because it holds the sauce well. You can substitute it with similar pasta shapes like penne or fusilli too.

→ Can chicken breasts work instead?

Absolutely, you can swap thighs for breasts. Just adjust the cooking time so they stay moist and tender.

→ How to make this gluten-free?

Just use gluten-free pasta and replace regular flour with a gluten-free flour substitute like Bob's Red Mill 1:1.

→ Can I toss in more veggies?

Of course! Extra options like mushrooms, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes would be delicious and complement the flavors well.

→ How do I get the sauce thicker?

Thicken the sauce by simmering it or by using a mix of grated parmesan and gluten-free flour until it reaches a creamy consistency.

→ Any alternatives to heavy cream?

You can lighten things up using half-and-half or dairy-free choices like coconut or cashew cream.