Marry Me Chicken Pasta

Name: Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 10-12 frozen chicken strips; 1 jar (15oz) alfredo sauce; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 jar (7oz) tomato pesto; 1 family sized bag tortellini; 2 tsp garlic powder; 2 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 tsp black pepper

Last Updated on September 25, 2025

26 Comments

November 10, 2023

This Marry Me Chick Pasta uses store bought ingredients to prepare a delicious meal in about 15 minutes. Heat up your chicken in the oven or air fryer and everything else is cooked in one pan. It’s one of our family’s favorite weeknight comfort food recipes.

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We love Marry Me Chicken Pasta at our house because life is busy. On this nights when work runs over and kids have practices this is a go to meal that is quick enough to prepare to allow us to sit down at the table together.

This recipe goes viral every time I post it because it is just so easy, and people love easy after a busy day! The mvps here are the air fryer chicken nuggets(or strips) and the tortellini that cooks quickly in the Alfredo sauce.

With only 7 ingredients and ready in 15 minutes, this dish makes putting dinner on the table stress free. And, only using one pan makes cleanup a breeze!

Top with extra parmesan and serve with some garlic bread and you will have a meal that is requested weekly! If you are looking for some other dinner recipes, we love this pasta recipes, as well as this Marry Me Chicken and Potato Soup, Ranch Tortellini Beef Stroganoff, or easy and delicious Baked Ziti.

I made this today. Simple, easy, and didn’t take long. Just subbed breaded chicken strips with grilled chicken strips. This will be added to my list of go-to recipes in the future! -Myra

Why you will love this recipe

Easy for anyone to make. My 15 year old will make this on her own fairly frequently.
Comfort food in 15 minutes. After a long day, its nice to sit down to an easy, quick, comforting meal.
Easier rendition of the classic and viral “Marry Me Chicken”. I have a recipe for the original version as well but it does take a bit more time. Marry me recipes are some of my favorites for the sun dried tomato and cream combination.

Matt’s Tip: You don’t need to pre-cook the tortellini pasta, you can add it straight into the sauce to cook through. It’s a true one pan pasta recipe.

Ingredients

Chicken nuggets or strips– I use the Kirkland brand or Just Bare most of the time. But, feel free to use your preferred! You will need about a pound and a half of nuggets or around a dozen strips.
Alfredo Sauce– yes, you can make your own. But, this is a lazy recipe! I will grab what is on sale many times but Rao’s is prob my favorite. Use what you like but make sure its in that 15-17oz range.
Heavy Cream– If you don’t have any, use half and half or whole milk! You need the extra liquid for the tortellini to cook bc they will absorb some and the heavy cream adds more richness.
Tomato Pesto– Any brand will suffice, I typically get it at Walmart to Aldi’s. I personally think tomato pesto gives a better overall flavor than using sun dried tomatoes which are traditionally used.
Family Sized Tortellini– You need this size(20-24oz) for the amount of sauce/heavy cream used. It can be filled with whatever you like and you can use ravioli in its place.
garlic powder– keeps the vampires away and adds more flavor!
Italian seasoning– adds great flavor to that Alfredo sauce.
Black Pepper– You don’t have to add this but I’m a big fan and want it in mine.

How to Make Marry Me Chicken Pasta

1. Cook your Chicken Nuggets/Strips per package instructions with preferred method. I typically throw them in the air fryer.

2. Pour Alfredo Sauce, heavy cream, tomato pesto, and seasonings to large pan or dutch oven. Stir well.

3. Stir in your tortellini and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid.

4. Stir every few min to prevent sticking, should take around 12-15 min total.
5. You can stir in chicken or serve on top to keep it crispy!

Expert Tips

Swap the pesto. Basil Pesto is a nice sub for the tomato pesto for a different flavor.
Lighten it up with grilled chicken. Use grilled chicken if you want to make it a little healthier! Use frozen or make your own!
You can make the alfredo sauce from scratch if desired. Make the Alfredo sauce from scratch, if preferred, but if you wanna keep it as effortless as possible then jarred is where its at (even though scratch always tastes better).

Storage

Store covered in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Store in the freezer up to 2 months.

To reheat, I do 30-second intervals in the microwave at a time, stirring in between, until its as warm as you prefer. You can add a splash of milk or cream to loosen the sauce.

NOTE: Although I still enjoy Alfredo dishes reheated, it does change the consistency. Most times the cheese from the sauce will separate and make the dish oily. For that reason, I prefer to eat Alfredo dishes when freshly prepared.

FAQs

What is marry me chicken made of? Marry Me Chicken combines Alfredo sauce with either sun dried tomatoes or tomato pesto for a creamy, tomato infused dish that is absolutely delicious!

What’s the best way to marry the pasta with the sauce? By adding everything together on low heat and stir, stir, stir.

What can you substitute for tomato pesto? Traditionally, sun dried tomatoes are used. If going that route, I would personally add a little tomato paste as well. I like the tomato pesto bc it makes it creamier and adds some nice herbal notes.

How do I make sure the cream doesn’t curdle? By keeping it on low heat. If the sauce gets too hot it will begin to curdle and separate.

Do you need to cook the tortellini before adding it to the sauce? I do not cook the tortellini ahead of time. The extra heavy cream ensures there is enough liquid for the tortellini to absorb allowing it to be a 1 pot meal and less clean up!

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