My (Far Superior) Take On The Viral 'Marry Me' Chicken Pasta

Obviously my toxic trait is that I always think I can improve on a recipe...

So everywhere I looked on Instagram over the last few months SOMEONE was telling me I had to try ‘Marry Me’ Chicken Pasta. Now, thanks to J-Lo and the abysmal Marry Me film and song, I was unable to look at these posts without singing ‘Marry me, marry me, say yes’ and indeed now as I attempt to type up this recipe, my head is REFUSING to type ‘“marry me” chicken’ without silently singing it. I’m hoping that sharing this recipe will get this infuriatingly catchy chorus out of my head. At least I am not able to fully sing the words when my mouth is otherwise occupied with the aforementioned poultry dish that dare not sing its name.

Sidenote: Marry Me the movie was indescribably terrible and not in the good way. I love a shit film – Something Borrowed is a film I have seen more times than I have told my children I love them. But Marry Me, despite involving J-Lo and Owen Wilson both of whom I love, just didn’t hit that shit movie sweet spot. Incidentally, what are the shit movies that you just can’t quit (to quote Brokeback)? I’d love to hear in the comments as I am working on an essay, working title: ‘Why In The Fuck Can’t I Stop Watching Bride Wars: An Ode To Shit Movies’.

In Ireland it is, on paper at least, summer but the grey drizzle tells a different story so I thought this bank holiday would be the perfect time to share this creamy, warming, immensely satisfying pasta dish. Anyone who’s been around Death Is Coming knows that I’ve been having a love affair with one pot pastas of late. See my one-pan mac and cheese and my one-pot pasta with basil, feta and toasted almonds. And this lil one-pot number below might be my favourite so far. All the other recipes I’d seen for this were unbearably stingy on the herbs and spices and I said ‘I CANNOT support this’ so as you can see have leaned more heavily into the paprika and oregano to great effect (IMO). Tell me in the comments if you try it and also give me your fave shitty movies please and thank you.

My 'Marry Me' Chicken Pasta

Serves 2

120g fusilli pasta

2 chicken breasts

1 big tablespoon paprika

1 big tablespoon dried oregano

600ml stock

2 cloves garlic, crushed

40g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

2 handfuls of baby spinach

30g parmesan

120ml cream

Fresh basil

Dice the chicken and, using a medium sized pot, cook in a little olive oil for three minutes over a high heat then add the paprika and oregano and the crushed cloves of garlic (you can add a dash of water if it’s drying out).

Swush it all around and then add the pasta in on top along with 300ml of chicken stock.

Put a lid on and simmer for about eight minutes. Stir a couple of times to make sure the pasta is not sticking and is cooking evenly. Once the pasta is just cooked, take the lid off and add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.

Simmer for a couple more minutes to reduce the cooking liquid until there's about three tablespoons of it left then stir in the cream and parmesan. Pepper on top is nice as is a few torn leaves of fresh basil.