Description

Creamy “Marry Me” Pasta is the ultimate Valentine’s date night dinner: silky sun-dried tomato cream sauce, garlic, parmesan, and basil tossed with tender pasta.

It’s rich, cozy, and restaurant-worthy in under 30 minutes—perfect for a romantic dinner at home.

Serve it with a simple salad and warm bread for the full “special occasion” vibe.

Ingredients

Scale

10–12 oz penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4–5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (plus 1–2 tbsp oil from the jar)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth (or pasta water)
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan, plus more to serve
2 big handfuls baby spinach (optional)
1/3 cup chopped basil (or 2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
1/2 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional: 1 lb chicken cutlets or 1 lb shrimp

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until just shy of al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
2. If using chicken or shrimp, season and sear in a large skillet until cooked; transfer to a plate.
3. In the same skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium-low heat.
4. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
5. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and 1–2 tbsp of their oil; cook 1–2 minutes.
6. Pour in broth (or a splash of pasta water) and scrape up browned bits.
7. Add heavy cream and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes.
8. Lower heat and gradually stir in parmesan until smooth and glossy.
9. Add spinach and basil; stir until spinach wilts.
10. Taste and adjust salt and pepper; stir in Dijon and lemon zest if using.
11. Add pasta to the skillet and toss with sauce, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until perfectly coated.
12. Return chicken or shrimp to the pan (or top plates) and finish with extra parmesan and basil.

Notes

Finely grated parmesan melts smoother than pre-shredded; it helps prevent grainy sauce.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer—high heat can cause the cream to separate and cheese to clump.
Sun-dried tomato oil is flavor gold; use 1–2 tablespoons for a deeper “restaurant” taste.
If the sauce gets too thick, loosen with warm pasta water a tablespoon at a time.
For extra shine, toss in 1 tablespoon of butter right at the end.
Make it kid-friendly by skipping pepper flakes and chopping tomatoes smaller.
Leftovers reheat best in a skillet on low with a splash of milk or broth.
Add mushrooms for a vegetarian spin: brown them well before starting the sauce.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian-American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl
Calories: 620
Sugar: 6g
Sodium: 820mg
Fat: 34g
Saturated Fat: 19g
Unsaturated Fat: 13g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 58g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 20g
Cholesterol: 105mg

Keywords: Creamy “Marry Me” Pasta, Valentine’s Date Night Dinner, sun-dried tomato cream sauce, romantic dinner, easy pasta