Marry Me Chicken Pasta

In the off chance your Valentines plans (like mine) extends into the weekend, I thought a cozy meal would be the perfect addition. These extra cold winter days call for a warm, comforting meal anyway.

Marry me chicken is a recipe thats floated around cookbooks and the internet for years. There’s a hundred variations of the recipe and almost always calls for a combination of chicken, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and parmesan cheese. The result is a tender piece of chicken floating in a creamy rich sauce.

I couldn’t resist giving the classic recipe a little twist; updating it with roasted red peppers, transforming it into (almost) a one pot pasta recipe. The end result is a flavorful, decadent, easy-to-make recipe, perfect for date night at home.

With a long weekend ahead and a surprisingly open ended calendar, I’m looking forward to popping around town to enjoy some of the weekend happenings. We will chase fresh snow up at White Pass, enjoying the ski hill, but our friends are planning to take advantage of the nordic trails with some snow shoeing and cross country skiing. The tubing hill is always a crowd pleaser, and worth the drive.

Gilbert Cellars is pairing wine and chocolate all weekend and Cowiche Creek Brewery has a special Valentines menu. You can’t go wrong with a cocktail and dessert at Crafted (but make a reservation) and it wouldn’t be a weekend in the Salt and Stone house without a latte from High West Coffee. I’m hoping for a stroll through Inklings Book Shop and plenty of time cozied up by the fireplace, with a new book in one hand and a glass of wine and bowl of marry me chicken pasta in the other.

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

• 1 pound pasta (penne or bow tie)

• 2 pounds thin cut chicken breasts, cubed

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3 pieces center cut bacon, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon chicken bullion

• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 7 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and minced

• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 1-2 cups fresh baby spinach, rough chopped

• 12 basil leaves, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large dutch oven, boil the pasta according to package instructions, usually about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally and drain when the pasta is al dente.

Dice the bacon thinly, add to a large sauté pan and cook in the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat until the bacon is crispy and cooked through, about five minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

While the bacon cooks, dice the chicken breast into 1-inch pieces. Gently pat dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper. Add the chicken to the sauté pan, searing the chicken on both sides, using a spatula to scrape up any little brown bits left over from the bacon. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally to brown on all sides for about 10 minutes. Once the chicken is golden brown, use the slotted spoon to move the chicken to the plate with the bacon.

Turn the heat to your pan on low and add the garlic. Stir until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute and then add the roasted red peppers, heavy cream, chicken bullion, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Give it a good stir to combine, then add back to the pan the bacon and chicken along with the fresh baby spinach and parmesan cheese. Add the pasta to the pan, stirring to combine, allowing the sauce to simmer on low for about 10 minutes.

Just before serving, sprinkle the fresh basil leaves over the dish. Scoop hearty portions into a shallow bowl or plate and serve with warm crusty bread, perfect for scooping up extra sauce.