Description
Marry Me Pasta is a creamy, flavorful Italian-inspired dish featuring a luscious sun-dried tomato and Parmesan cheese sauce, infused with garlic, herbs, and spices. This recipe is easy to prepare on the stovetop and combines tender linguini noodles with a rich, velvety sauce that is perfect for a romantic dinner or a comforting meal any day of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 3/4 box thin linguini or other long noodles (about 6 ounces)
- Salt, for boiling water
- Reserved pasta water (about 1/4 cup)
Sun-Dried Tomato Paste
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
- 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomato jar
Sauce
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 cups light cream
- 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust for spiciness)
Instructions
- Making Sun-Dried Tomato Paste: Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes and blend them together with 1 tablespoon of the oil from the jar until a coarse paste forms. This paste will impart a rich, tangy flavor to the sauce.
- Cooking Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguini and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the noodles thoroughly.
- Making the Sauce: In a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the grated garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, dried thyme, and chicken bouillon powder. Sauté briefly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the light cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Then add the grated Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and finely chopped fresh basil. Simmer the sauce gently, stirring often, until it thickens and becomes velvety. If the sauce is too thick, gradually stir in reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency.
- Combining and Serving: Add the cooked linguini directly into the sauce and toss well to coat all noodles evenly. Cook together for a minute to allow flavors to meld. Serve the pasta immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Use light cream for a rich but not overly heavy sauce. Half-and-half can be substituted but will yield a thinner sauce.
- Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil provide the best flavor and texture; dry-packed can be used if rehydrated first.
- Adjust crushed red pepper flakes to control spiciness according to preference.
- Reserve pasta water is key to adjusting the sauce’s consistency and helping it cling to the noodles.
- For a vegetarian version, replace chicken bouillon powder with vegetable bouillon powder.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Marry Me Pasta, creamy pasta, sun-dried tomato sauce, quick Italian dinner, linguini recipe, Parmesan pasta sauce, garlic cream pasta
