When I was growing up in Mississippi, it was common for folks to talk about young women in terms of their marriage prospects. Despite any number of role models out there at the time — from Mary Tyler Moore to Bella Abzug — the idea of a “career gal” was downright perplexing for most people in my hometown of Laurel, who were all pretty sure that the only qualification a woman needed to be happy in life was her “M-r-s” degree. Thankfully, most of us have come a long way since then.
But even now, there’s Marry Me Pasta and its forerunner, Marry Me Chicken (not to be confused with Engagement Chicken). Like so much that scrolls toward our eyeballs nowadays, Marry Me Chicken came from the internet, specifically, from the foodie website Delish. According to a 2023 New York Times article surveying the Marry Me phenomenon, an editor at the site dreamed up the recipe — originally but somewhat boringly called Sicilian Skillet Chicken — and created a how-to video for it. After filming was done, and presumably after plates were cleaned, her producer was so smitten with the dish that she said she’d marry her for it — and the name, as they say, stuck.
Now, I understand that the producer was making a joke, probably. I also understand that the editor in question understood it as a joke, probably. But part of me is still discomfited by the idea that someone would marry someone simply because of that someone’s cooking prowess. It suggests that those early days of domestic bliss can only be followed by another dish — Divorce Me Soufflé, perhaps — served cold, one imagines — a couple of years down the line.
That said, there’s no denying that the dish is very good — luxuriously rich, comforting, lovable, even. And it’s very easy to make. In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients on hand right now, and if you don’t, no big whoop: apart from the cream, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes, this recipe is very kind to substitutions. The sauce comes together in the time it takes to boil a pot of pasta. On that score, the original specifies rigatoni, but I prefer linguine, fettuccine, or a thick spaghetti.
Since I’m vegetarian (though fortunately not a lactose-intolerant one) I made this meatless pasta-forward variation for friends and family members recently, and even the carnivorous ones couldn’t get enough of it. Thanks to the butter, cream, and cheese, it’s so substantial that no one will miss the meat.
But if you wanted to stay truer to the original chicken dish without adding actual meat, I have a couple of suggestions. My first would be to throw in some rehydrated textured vegetable protein, an ingredient more appetizingly known by its abbreviation, TVP, and easily found in markets that stock Asian products. You could also add chickpeas, which are easier to find and would arguably make the dish skew more Italian, too, to go with those sun-dried tomatoes.
All I ask is that if you happen to make this on Valentine’s Day, think twice before
accepting an offer of marriage from someone just because they love the dish. You don’t want to set yourself up for heartbreak should they tire of eating this night after night. But if they want to marry you (or stay married to you) for other reasons — your sparkling sense of humor, your adventurous spirit, or simply because you enjoy feeding other people — by all means, let them drop to one knee. And if you’re feeling it, accept their proposal.
MARRY ME PASTA
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Kosher salt
1 lb. linguine
½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1½ Tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 tsp. vegetable bouillon base, such as Better Than Bouillon
2 cups heavy cream
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
A big pinch of salt for the sauce, plus more for cooking the pasta
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
- Cook pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until a little shy of al dente, since the pasta will cook a bit more in the sauce later. Drain after reserving about a cup of the pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, put the sun-dried tomatoes in a blender or food processor and pulse. You want a bit of texture here, so don’t over-blend, and use a bit of the oil the tomatoes were packed in if the paste seems too clumpy. (You can also skip the blender and mince the tomatoes by hand.)
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, and bouillon powder or paste. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in cream and bring to a gentle simmer, but do not let it boil. Add the sun-dried tomato paste, basil, Parmesan, and garlic powder and continue to stir until the cheese is melted and sauce is starting to thicken, about 5 minutes. Season with salt (you probably won’t need much) and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add pasta and about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to the sauce in the skillet. (If adding chickpeas or rehydrated TVP, do so now as you’re adding the pasta to the skillet.)
- Cook, stirring frequently and adding a little more pasta water if needed, until the sauce is glossy and fully coats the pasta, about 2 minutes more.
- Top with more Parmesan and basil and serve, offering additional Parmesan at the table.
- Sit back and wait for the proposals to roll in.
