Marry Me Pumpkin Chicken Pasta Recipe
Marry Me Pumpkin Chicken Pasta is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender seared chicken breasts served over pasta tossed in a creamy, spiced pumpkin sauce. This easy-to-make recipe combines aromatic herbs with pumpkin purée and a blend of cheeses to create a luscious sauce that perfectly coats the pasta and chicken, ideal for fall-inspired dinners.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Pasta
- 4–5 portions of pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini)
Pumpkin Cream Sauce
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
Garnish
- Chopped fresh parsley or microgreens
Instructions
- Sear the Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Cook the Pasta: While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente, then drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the Pumpkin Cream Sauce: Reduce heat to medium, add the butter to the same pan used for the chicken, and let it melt. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Create the Sauce: Pour in the chicken broth, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then add dried thyme, dried sage, and crushed red pepper flakes. Whisk in the pumpkin purée, heavy cream, Parmesan, and Mozzarella cheese. Stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened and flavors meld together.
- Combine Chicken and Pasta: Return the seared chicken and cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce. Spoon some sauce over the chicken pieces and cook for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the chicken to absorb the pumpkin cream sauce flavors.
- Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or microgreens and serve immediately for a warm, comforting meal.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh herbs if available instead of dried thyme and sage.
- Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes to your preferred level of spiciness.
- You can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter sauce, but the sauce will be less rich.
- Resting the chicken after cooking helps retain juices and keeps it moist.
- Use a sturdy pasta like bucatini or linguine to hold up well with the creamy sauce.
Keywords: pumpkin chicken pasta, creamy pumpkin pasta, fall recipes, easy chicken dinner, pumpkin sauce pasta
