About This Recipe

If you've seen Marry Me Pasta all over Pinterest and TikTok and wondered if it lives up to the hype — it absolutely does. This viral recipe starts with golden garlic and shallots cooked in the fragrant oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, then builds a luscious cream sauce enriched with Parmesan and bright bursts of chewy, tangy sun-dried tomatoes. The result is a restaurant-quality pasta that takes exactly 25 minutes and uses pantry staples you probably already have. The name is no joke: this sauce is so rich, silky, and deeply flavored that it genuinely feels like a special-occasion meal on a Tuesday night.

Nutrition estimates based on USDA FoodData Central. Values are per serving and may vary.

Why You'll Love It

  • On the table in 25 minutes — faster than delivery, infinitely more impressive
  • One pan for the sauce + one pot for pasta — minimal cleanup
  • Endlessly versatile: add grilled chicken, shrimp, or sausage in minutes
  • The sun-dried tomato oil does all the flavor heavy lifting — don't skip it

Marry Me Pasta

Marry me pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil
5 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Total
4
Servings
⭐ 4.9
Rating
620
Calories

Ingredients

  • 12 oz rigatoni or penne
  • 3 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomato jar
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • Salt & black pepper
  • Fresh basil to serve

Instructions

  1. 1Cook pasta Boil rigatoni in heavily salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
  2. 2Build the base Heat sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet. Sauté shallot 2 min, then garlic and red pepper flakes 1 min.
  3. 3Add tomatoes Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook 2 minutes.
  4. 4Make the sauce Pour in broth and cream. Simmer 5–6 min until slightly thickened.
  5. 5Finish Stir in Parmesan until melted. Add pasta, toss to coat, adjust with pasta water. Serve with fresh basil.

Ingredients

12 oz rigatoni Sun-dried tomato oil 4 garlic cloves 1 shallot ½ tsp red pepper flakes ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes 1½ cups heavy cream ½ cup chicken broth 1 cup Parmesan Italian seasoning Salt & black pepper Fresh basil

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. 1

    Cook the pasta

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it aggressively — it should taste like the sea. Cook rigatoni or penne until al dente (1 minute less than the package says). Before draining, scoop out at least 1 cup of starchy pasta water. This is liquid gold for adjusting your sauce consistency later.

  2. 2

    Build the aromatic base

    While pasta cooks, heat the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned. This oil is packed with intense tomato flavor — it's the secret weapon of this recipe.

  3. 3

    Add the sun-dried tomatoes

    Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and dried Italian seasoning to the pan. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to bloom the flavors and let the tomatoes soften slightly in the heat. The kitchen should smell incredible at this point.

  4. 4

    Make the cream sauce

    Pour in the chicken broth first — it deglazes the pan and picks up all the flavor stuck to the bottom. Then add the heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer (not a boil) and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the back of a spoon.

  5. 5

    Finish with Parmesan

    Remove the pan from heat and stir in the freshly grated Parmesan until it melts into the sauce completely. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Add the drained pasta and toss vigorously to coat every piece. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time. Serve immediately topped with torn fresh basil and extra Parmesan.

Pro Tips

🏆 Chef's Tips for Perfect Results
  • Use the oil from the jar. The sun-dried tomato oil is flavored with herbs and garlic — cooking in it gives the sauce incredible depth that regular olive oil cannot replicate.
  • Grate your own Parmesan. Pre-shredded Parmesan contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. Freshly grated melts into a silky, creamy sauce with no lumps.
  • Reserve pasta water. The starchy water emulsifies the fat and cream into a glossy sauce. It's the difference between a sauce that coats the pasta and one that pools at the bottom.
  • Don't boil the cream. A gentle simmer thickens the sauce; a hard boil breaks it and makes it grainy. Low and slow is the move.

Delicious Variations

🔄 Ways to Switch It Up
  • Marry Me Chicken Pasta: Season and sear sliced chicken breasts in the same pan before making the sauce. Remove the chicken, make the sauce, then add it back in with the pasta.
  • Marry Me Shrimp Pasta: Sauté large shrimp in butter until pink, set aside, then make the sauce. Add shrimp back at the end so it doesn't overcook.
  • Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and add a handful of baby spinach to the cream sauce for color and nutrition.
  • Spicier version: Double the red pepper flakes and add a pinch of cayenne to the cream for a sauce with real kick.

Frequently Asked Questions

The name comes from the idea that this pasta is so outrageously delicious, whoever you cook it for will immediately want to propose. The recipe went viral on social media after food creators claimed their partners proposed after tasting it. Whether or not that's true, the sauce really is remarkable.
The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat and add a splash of chicken broth or cream to loosen. Cook the pasta fresh when you're ready to serve — cooked pasta stored in sauce gets mushy.
You can use half-and-half for a lighter sauce. Whole milk will work but the sauce will be thinner and may need more Parmesan to thicken it. For the richest, most viral result, heavy cream is the way to go — this is not the recipe to cut corners on dairy.

Nutrition Per Serving

620
Calories
18g
Protein
64g
Carbs
32g
Fat
4g
Fiber
6g
Sugar
480mg
Sodium
340mg
Potassium