Marry Me Chicken Pasta (Lasagna Roll Ups)

Viral recipe, Marry Me Chicken Pasta has an upgrade prepared lasagna style! Pillowy lasagna noodles are rolled with creamy Tuscan style chicken topped with gooey cheese and fresh herbs. This recipe is without a doubt a solid five stars!

Want to try more viral Tik Tok recipes? Try my version of the Onion Wrapped Flying Dutchman, The Grinder or the The Grinder Salad.

WHAT'S MARRY ME CHICKEN?

This recipe gained its popularity from Tik Tok! I was going to let this trending recipe pass since it's been circulating for so long. To be honest, it looks just that delicious, I had to give it a try and put my own spin on it!

Made with chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach, the popular "marry me" phrase is actually just a figure of speech. This Tuscan Chicken style recipe is almost identical to the popular Italian dish that originated out of Tuscany.

After devouring this dish, whoever is lucky to taste this will feel instant wedding bells and want to marry the cook, so get ready!

WHY WE LOVE THIS VIRAL MARY ME CHICKEN PASTA WITH LASAGNA ROLL UPS

As mentioned, marry me chicken pasta is packed with flavor. We are adding our own spin and here's why we love it so much!

1. Comfort. If you love comfort foods, this recipe is for you. This marry me chicken pasta recipe is downright filling. Each roll up is extremely decadent, pillowy and filling.
2. Customizable. While the marry me chicken recipe has some base ingredients such as the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, you can absolutely customize this recipe to your liking. For instance, since going viral, this recipe has been turned into soup, pizza and made vegetarian with chickpeas!
3. Awe-inspiring. This recipe presents itself a bit fancy yet so easy to prepare. Whether you're preparing this for dinner or wanting to impress someone special, this recipe has you covered!

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED?

The ingredients are all pantry and produce friendly, all can be located at your local grocery store. Here's what you'll need:

1. Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (or Chicken Breasts). We will discuss this later on but we actually used chicken thighs for this recipe instead of breasts, game changer!
2. Olive Oil. For searing the chicken breasts!
3. Garlic. Fresh or paste will work, this component is used to help flavor the rich cream sauce.
4. Chicken Seasoning (salt, pepper, all purpose seasoning and smoked paprika). The chicken thighs (or breasts) will be overly seasoned, use this blend for perfectly seasoned chicken thighs or breasts.

1. Butter.
2. Heavy Cream. Base for the cream sauce.
3. Wine. This ingredient is optional and can be substituted with chicken broth but adds rich flavor to the sauce.
4. Chicken Broth. This ingredient is optional and will be used if you prefer a thinner sauce.
5. Sun-Dried Tomatoes. You can purchase the julienne cut style packed in oil. The dried kind that comes in a bag will work as well.
6. Parmesan Cheese. This cheese will be used to thicken and flavor the cream sauce.
7. Mozzarella. Using this cheese to top the lasagna rolls with before baking!
8. Spinach.
9. Italian Seasoning.
10. Red Pepper Flakes.
11. Lasagna Sheets. Dried will work best and we will par cook them before baking.
12. Fresh Basil. Dried will work too but fresh is best!

HOW TO MAKE MARRY ME CHICKEN PASTA

Prepare the Lasagna Noodles

First, it is beneficial to prep as many of the ingredients as possible for maximum results. Begin. by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then, with a large pot, salt the water and bring to a boil to prepare the lasagna noodles. Please note, when preparing the lasagna noodles, you will cook them al dente, be careful not to overcook.

My directions said 10-12 minutes so I boiled them for 8-9 minutes. The pasta was cooked through but still a bit chewy with texture. We are cooking the noodles for a second time in the oven for baking.

After boiling, make sure the noodles are laid on a flat surface so they can dry.

Cook and Season the Chicken Thighs

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Liberally season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, all purpose seasoning and smoked paprika. 

Then, place chicken thighs in the pan and sauté on both sides, being careful not to overly disturb. The chicken will not have to be completely cooked through, it will finish cooking in the oven. 

When the chicken is partially cooked through, remove from the pan, allow to rest and set aside until later use. After the chicken has rested and while the sauce is being prepared, you can slice or shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Prepare the Cream Sauce

In the same pan (do not clean it out), add butter and garlic. Sauté for one minute. Next, add in wine (or chicken broth) and allow up to thirty seconds for the wine to reduce. 

Now, pour in heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, seasonings (Italian herbs, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes) and parmesan cheese. Stir until sauce thickens. 

Reduce the heat to low (you can even turn the heater completely off), we will use the sauce shortly.

How to Prepare the Lasagna Rolls

Before preparing the lasagna rolls, split the marry me chicken sauce in half. You will need one portion for saucing the bottom of the baking dish and the top of the lasagna rolls and the other filled with sauce and chicken, to roll into the lasagna sheets.

Once you have added the chicken to the sauce, split the sauce in half (one with chicken and one without), you can now begin to fill and roll the lasagna sheets.

In a large baking dish add about two tablespoons of sauce and spread across the bottom of the pan. This ensures that the lasagna rolls do not stick.

On a flat surface (I used a cutting board), take one cooked lasagna noodle at a time, add the sauce with chicken (about two to three tablespoons) onto the lasagna noodle and spread the sauce onto the flat lasagna cooled, leaving about one two inches of space on both ends. Lastly, slowly roll the lasagna forming large "lasagna rolls". 

Repeat this step until the baking dish is full with loaded lasagna rolls. This recipe made six large lasagna rolls for me.

Bake and Serve Marry Me Chicken Lasagna Rolls

Finally, ladle remaining sauce over the lasagna rolls and top with mozzarella cheese (adding extra sun-dried tomatoes for garnish if wanted). Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes until chicken is warmed through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Top with fresh basil and enjoy! Please note, the casserole needs to rest for at least ten minutes before serving.

RECIPE VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUIONS

1. Protein. Use your favorite protein! This dish works perfectly with most proteins; chicken, salmon or shrimp. Even double up and add two options!
2. Pasta. Try other large or fillable type pasta shapes such as shells or manicotti!
3. Veggies. This recipe is so rich and delicious so perfect opportunity to add more vegetables. Adding mushrooms will make this dish a complete Tuscany style dish. Chickpeas, onion, and peppers will work great too!

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BEST USE!

1. Be sure to prepare the lasagna noodles al dente. This helps with not overcooking the noodles during baking time and helps them to not tear during the rolling process.
2. Rinse the lasagna noodles with cold water after boiling. Place the lasagna noodles on a flat surface (such as a baking rack) and allow the noodles to dry.
3. Allow the rolls to rest after baking, at least ten minutes before serving. This helps to make sure the lasagna rolls maintain their shape and stature.
4. Add more cream sauce (up to one up at a time) for more sauce if needed.
5. If the sauce is too thick, use some of the leftover chicken broth to "thin" the sauce. Add one tablespoon at a time.

FAQ

What is Marry Me Chicken Pasta?

Marry Me Chicken is s Tuscan style dish prepared with chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, cream and spinach. Marry Me Chicken Pasta is elevated and we are adding pasta to pair the chicken and sauce with!

Do I have to Prepare this Recipe with Chicken Thighs?

Absolutely not. However, surprisingly, this recipe paired amazingly well with chicken thighs versus breasts. Breasts can tend to dry out quickly and since we are cooking and baking the chicken, the thighs stayed really moist throughout this recipe.

Does Marry Me Chicken Work?

As mentioned, it is more of a figure of speech so while this recipe may not equate to an engagement or even marriage, trust me, your guests or partner will absolutely love you a bit more after preparing this dish! 🙂

Is Marry Me Chicken Healthy?

This dish is quite rich and is not the healthiest of them all. This recipe is definitely under the "cheat meal" category and perfect for preparing on a special occasion!

Can Marry Me Chicken Be Frozen?

Since this dish is prepared similar to lasagna, you can absolutely freeze this recipe. Be certain to not bake the recipe however before freezing. When you're ready to bake, allow the casserole to thaw for one hour before preheating and baking!

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS MARRY ME CHICKEN PASTA RECIPE WITH LASAGNA ROLL UPS

If you try this recipe, I'd love to see it! Share it with me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Pinterest.

Marry Me Chicken Pasta (Lasagna Roll Ups) Recipe