tonight's midnight meal

marry me pasta, the chicken-less one

Name: marry me pasta, the chicken-less one
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2-3 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 12 oz rigatoni; ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (plus 1–2 tbsp of their red oil); 3–4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp italian seasoning; ½ tsp paprika (for color); ½ tsp red pepper flakes; 1–1½ cups vegetable broth; 1 cup heavy cream; ¾ cup parmigiano, freshly grated (pre-shredded won't melt clean); a handful of spinach, plus basil to finish; (optional) sliced mushrooms, for body

⏱ 25 min🍽 2–3 · a very persuasive midnight

Ingredients · tap to check

12 oz rigatoni
½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (plus 1–2 tbsp of their red oil)
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp italian seasoning
½ tsp paprika (for color)
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1–1½ cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup parmigiano, freshly grated (pre-shredded won't melt clean)
a handful of spinach, plus basil to finish
(optional) sliced mushrooms, for body

The Way

Boil the rigatoni one minute shy of al dente and save a ladle of the starchy pasta water.
Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a pan (mushrooms and shallot first, if using), then the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, seasoning, and paprika — about a minute, until the red oil bleeds across the pan.
Pour in the broth and stir a minute.
Lower the heat and pour the cream in slowly, stirring — the white blooms into a warm coral over the red oil. Keep it a gentle simmer; a hard boil will split it.
Melt in the parmigiano a little at a time, loosening with the pasta water until it's velvety, 2 to 3 minutes. Wilt in the spinach.
Fold in the rigatoni so the sauce coats every ridge. Finish with torn basil and a little more parmigiano.

midnight tip — a hard boil after the cream goes in will curdle it. keep it low and slow, and let the starchy pasta water do the emulsifying.

Questions

Can I add chicken to marry me pasta?

Yes — sear diced or sliced chicken breast first, set it aside, then build the sauce in the same pan and fold the chicken back in with the rigatoni at the end. This version skips it on purpose so the sauce carries the whole dish.

Why did my sauce split or curdle?

The cream went in over a hard boil. Once the cream is added, keep the heat low and the sauce at a gentle simmer — a rolling boil breaks the fat and you get a greasy, separated sauce instead of a silky one.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of milk or broth, stirring, to bring the sauce back to smooth — microwaving hot can cause it to split.

marry me pasta, the chicken-less one

Ingredients · tap to check

The Way

Questions

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