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If you’re a fan of creamy, flavorful pasta dishes, Marry Me Pasta might just be your new obsession! This delicious dish combines rigatoni pasta with a sun-dried tomato cream sauce and comes together in under 30 minutes!
What Exactly Is Marry Me Pasta?
There’s nothing better than a delicious pasta for a date night. From Lemon Garlic Pasta, to Veggie Pesto Pasta or even Kale Pasta Caesar Salad, it’s always a simple meal that is packed with flavour! Marry Me Pasta is a creamy pasta dish featuring a luscious sun-dried tomato cream sauce, garlic, parmesan cheese, and aromatic spices. The dish got its name because it’s so good, people joke it could inspire a marriage proposal!;) Marry Me Pasta (as well as other “marry me” recipes) became a popular trend on Tiktok.
The sauce is made with a base of sundried tomatoes, which I love to pair with pasta, (like in this Red Pesto Pasta) cream, and parmesan cheese for a creamy, savoury sauce that you won’t be able to get enough of.
This pasta dish is also made entirely in one pan and comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for an easy date night meal or weeknight family meal. This Marry Me Pasta is Vegetarian but can be modified however you like. Also try this Mediterranean Pizza for an easy date night idea!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich and creamy: The creamy sauce is packed with flavor and coats every bite of pasta beautifully.
- Quick and easy: Ready in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners or last-minute hosting!
- Customizable: This recipe is easy to adapt to make it vegan, gluten-free or high in protein.
- A guaranteed hit: Trust me, everyone will love this one!
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Use the ones packed in oil- they’re softer and more flavorful. Avoid the dried ones in a bag, which can be tough and more bland.
- Heavy cream: This is essential for that creamy base. For a lighter option, substitute half-and-half and for a dairy-free version use coconut cream.
- Garlic: Please use fresh minced garlic for this recipe! (No dried or jarred) This will deliver so much more flavor to the pasta.
- Parmesan cheese: Use freshly grated parmesan for the best texture and flavor. Vegan? Substitute with nutritional yeast or a plant-based parmesan.
- Pasta: Rigatoni is a popular choice as it holds onto the sauce nicely. Some other great options would be but penne or fusili. If you prefer a long pasta feel fee to use fettuccine, or spaghetti. For gluten-free, use your favorite GF pasta.
- Italian seasoning: This adds some great depth and aroma to the dish. If you don’t have it, use some dried oregano, or just extra fresh basil.
*The full list of ingredients, measurements and instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
How To Make Marry Me Pasta
Step 1
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Then in a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
Step 2
Prepare the sauce by adding heavy cream, vegetable stock, reserved pasta water, and parmesan cheese to the skillet or pot. Stir to combine and let it simmer until the sauce thickens.
Step 3
Mix the cooked pasta into the skillet, stirring to coat it in the creamy sauce. Remove from heat and stir in freshly chopped basil and a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness.
Recipe Variations
There are so many different ways you can make this recipe your own, so feel free to play around with it. Here are a few of my favorite ways to mix up this recipe for different dietary needs:
- Vegan Marry Me Pasta: Use coconut cream instead of heavy cream and nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan as a substitute for the cheese.
- High-protein version: Add grilled chicken, shrimp, or sausage for an extra protein boost.
- Gluten-free option: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta in place of regular pasta.
How To Store And Reheat
Storing: Transfer leftover pasta to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Warm leftovers on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a splash of milk, cream, or pasta water to loosen the sauce. You can also reheat it in the microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between.
For another great pasta dish that reheats beautifully, try my Vegetarian Baked Ziti—it’s a meal-prep superstar!
Expert Tips For Making Mary Me Pasta
- Salt the pasta water: adding salt to the pasta water until it’s salty like the ocean will add more depth of flavor to the pasta.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Cook it al dente so it holds up well when tossed in the sauce. The pasta will continue to cook slightly in the sauce as well.
- Use fresh garlic: Minced garlic straight from the clove provides the best flavor.
- Reserve pasta water: This starchy water helps thin out the sauce while making it cling to the pasta!
- Simmer the sauce gently: Avoid boiling the sauce, this can make it become too thick.
- Grate your own parmesan: Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly as freshly grated. I recommend always grating your own parmesan cheese. (You can also grate it to the size and texture you like with a box grater!)
- Serve immediately: Marry Me Pasta tastes best fresh, so aim to serve it right after cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
The dish’s name comes from its irresistible flavor—people joke it’s so good, it could inspire a marriage proposal!
While it’s best fresh, you can prepare the sauce ahead and store it separately. Combine with pasta when ready to serve.
Pasta shapes that have ridges to hold onto the sauce work best like rigatoni, penne or fusili. (But feel free to use any pasta shape you love.)
No. Cream-based sauces don’t freeze well as they can separate. It’s better to store leftovers in the fridge and consume within 3 days.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love!
If you tried this Marry Me Pasta or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Marry Me Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Marry Me Pasta recipe comes together in just 20 minutes for a cozy meal everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 9 oz (250 grams) rigatoni or pasta of choice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5oz (approx 150g) sun dried tomatoes, drained & chopped
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning (can sub dried oregano)
- 2 tsp paprika
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup pasta water
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Optional 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes to serve
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water to use later.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan or pot on medium heat. Add the minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Stir everything together and let it cook for 2–3 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the heavy cream, vegetable stock, pasta water, and grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let the sauce simmer on medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes, allowing it to thicken and the flavors to meld together, then add the chopped basil.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss it in the sauce, letting it cook for another 1–2 minutes to thicken slightly. If needed, add a splash more stock or reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
- Remove the pan from the heat and optionally add a squeeze of lemon juice, red pepper flakes, more basil, and extra Parmesan before serving.
Notes
- Salt the pasta water for an extra tasty pasta dish.
- Cook the pasta al dente (with a slight bite to it) as the pasta will continue to cook in the sauce.
- Serve immediately for the best taste and texutre.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 575
- Sugar: 10g
- Fat: 27g
- Carbohydrates: 73g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 18g
This was SO delicious!! Made it for a date night recipe is it did not dissapoint!