Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

This Bruschetta Chicken Pasta is the perfect way to use up all those fresh summer tomatoes overflowing in your garden right now! Pair the marinated bruschetta with sautéed herb chicken which creates the perfect creamy balsamic pan sauce that coats the al dente spaghetti – and you’ve got a quick and easy weeknight dinner!

 

You Will Love This

• It’s super quick and easy! Ripe, juicy summer tomatoes marinate with fresh basil, sliced garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar while you boil the spaghetti noodles. Then sauté some herby chicken and make a quick balsamic cream sauce from the pan drippings. Toss the spaghetti in the light sauce, slice the chicken and add the tomato bruschetta. Finish with fresh mozzarella and more basil for the perfect summertime meal your family will love – bruschetta chicken pasta!
• It’s a tomato lover’s dream, but can also be enjoyed by those you aren’t big tomato fans (like myself). I love cooked tomatoes in pasta, roasted tomato salsa, tomatoes on a pizza, or even roasted tomato toast. But raw tomatoes just aren’t as tasty to me – UNLESS they’re marinated with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and basil or served in a Caprese pasta salad! Then I’m thrilled to snag a few with a twirled forkful of spaghetti and sliced grilled chicken. The marinating really makes all the difference and gives the bruschetta SO MUCH flavor! So definitely give this a try even if you aren’t super into raw tomatoes – you might be surprised how much you enjoy it!
• You can serve each element of this bruschetta chicken pasta separately so that even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy it! If you’ve got picky eaters at home, trying serving the noodles, sliced chicken, bruschetta, and mozzarella separately and letting them assemble it on their own! This works great for our 4-year-old. Also, try serving this chicken bruschetta pasta with my super quick and easy garlic bread recipe!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Spaghetti – Feel free to use your favorite pasta in this bruschetta pasta. I like to use spaghetti, but penne, rigatoni, linguine or fettuccine would all be great as well. Also, you can skip the pasta in favor of another carbohydrate like toasted French baguette or crispy homemade crostini!
• Grape Tomatoes – If you can’t find grape tomatoes for this bruschetta chicken pasta recipe, cherry tomatoes would work as well. You could also use diced Roma tomatoes.
• Olive Oil – Try to find an olive oil that is organic and cold-pressed for the best flavor.
• Balsamic Vinegar – This is my favorite brand of balsamic vinegar, but feel free to use whatever balsamic vinegar you enjoy! This chicken pasta would also be delicious with a drizzle of balsamic glaze! Check out this recipe to see how easy it is to make your own balsamic glaze.
• Fresh Basil – The fresh basil is what really makes this dish, so don’t skip it!
• Fresh Garlic – Fresh garlic is going to add SUCH delicious flavor to the bruschetta mixture. Garlic powder would be an okay substitute, but try to stick with fresh garlic if possible.
• Chicken Breast – I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this bruschetta pasta, but chicken thighs would work well too. If you don’t need the extra protein from the chicken – check out my 20 Minute Vegetarian Bruschetta Pasta.
• Dried Herbs -Dried herbs are going to add another layer of flavor to the sautéed chicken breast that is just delicious. Use your favorite dried herbs or whatever you have on hand.
• Garlic Powder – I prefer to use garlic powder for seasoning the chicken breast as fresh garlic could burn when the chicken is sautéed.
• Heavy Cream – You could also sub half and half or whole milk in place of the heavy cream in this recipe, but the heavy cream is what’s really going to give the light cream sauce that silky texture.
• Fresh Mozzarella – I love to serve this chicken bruschetta pasta with fresh mozzarella cheese, but if you don’t have any hand you could add freshly grated Parmesan cheese in its place. If you can find burrata I highly recommend trying that as well!

Instructions

Add tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, basil, garlic, and large of Kosher salt to a medium bowl. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

Mix to combine and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Season chicken breast on all sides with basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Sear chicken in a large skillet on each side for about 4-5 minutes or until it has a dark golden brown crust on all sides and is cooked through to 165 degrees. Remove from pan and set aside to rest.

Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and heavy cream.

Add al dente pasta along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, tossing frequently until it’s heated through.

Thinly slice chicken breast and add to the pasta.

Pour marinated tomatoes over the pasta and chicken. Add fresh mozzarella and garnish with basil, and voila – Bruschetta Chicken Pasta!

Tips

• You can use any kind of tomatoes for the bruschetta. I just love the way grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes look when they’re sliced in half and they have very little seeds inside so that they don’t give off too much moisture. If you’re using another kind of tomato (beefsteak, heirloom, etc.) you’ll likely need to remove the seeds and guts from the inside of the tomato and then chop or dice it up. If you leave the seeds and guts inside, you’ll end up with a very wet bruschetta with a diluted flavor. Removing the seeds and guts allows the olive oil and balsamic marinade to really shine.
• Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, you may want to cut it in half lengthwise, so that it cooks quicker. Or if you’re using large breasts, you may need to pop them in a 400-degree oven to finish cooking until their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Chicken tenders also work great in this dish as well. Since they’re smaller, they’ll cook faster right in the pan.
• Feel free to bulk this dish up with your favorite summer veggies! We love to add sautéed zucchini!

Make Ahead

• You can make the tomato bruschetta a few hours before serving, but I wouldn’t recommend making it much further in advance. 
• As the tomatoes sit, they will continue to release juices and if the bruschetta mixture sits for more than a few hours, it will accumulate a considerable amount of moisture, and the balsamic vinegar will begin to break the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar down.

FAQ

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