Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

This bruschetta chicken pasta is a super easy weeknight dinner packed full of chicken, cherry tomatoes, and fresh flavor. You can serve this dish hot or as a cold bruschetta pasta salad.

 

Why We Love Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

Do you ever cook something purposefully, just knowing you will be just as excited about it the next day? Pasta dishes are an easy weeknight dinner and this flavorful chicken recipe did not disappoint.

My kid and my husband both cleaned their plates at dinner time and leftovers make a great lunch.

This dish is light, tasty and easy to make, and pretty easy to adjust. Don’t be hesitant to add a few more tomatoes or a little more basil to this recipe. I like to add fresh basil when I have it from my garden.

This recipe has been so popular with reachers, I’ve also created an equally delicious Baked Bruschetta Chicken that can be served as a main dish over pasta but can also be served with other sides dishes too.

Ingredients For This Bruschetta Chicken Pasta Recipe

Cooking The Pasta

• spaghetti noodles A long thin pasta is delicious in this dish, but other shorter pasta like penne or corkscrews also work well in this dish. Cook the pasta until al dente.

For The Chicken

• chicken breast boneless skinless chicken breasts. Slice the chicken breast into two thinner chicken cutlets. This will help the chicken to stay juicy, but the thinner pieces cook up more quickly.
•  basil dried
• garlic powder or granulated garlic, can also use two garlic cloves
• oregano dried
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil

For The Bruschetta Sauce

• cherry tomatoes sliced in half Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes tend to be a little sweeter. If tomatoes are ripe and in season, Roma tomatoes are another great choice.
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar – Balsamic bruschetta chicken are all flavors that marry quite nicely together without being overpowering. Red wine vinegar can in a pinch be substituted for balsamic, but only add about a teaspoon of red wine vinegar in place of balsamic as it is more acidic.
• garlic powder or granulated garlic can also use two garlic cloves
• salt
• pepper

How To Make Chicken Bruschetta Pasta (All In One Pot!)

Making The Pasta

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. (Usually about 8-9 minutes.) Remove 1/4 cup of pasta water from the pot and place to the side for the sauce. Strain and set aside the pasta in a colander and set to the side.

Cooking The Chicken

1. Slice the chicken breast longways so that you have two wide thin chicken cutlets from each chicken breast.
2. In a small bowl mix together oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Season chicken on one side with about half of the spice mixture.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Place the chicken pieces with the spice side down. Sprinkle the other side of the chicken with the remaining spice mixture.

4. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes until brown, then flip. Continue cooking the chicken until golden brown on each side, flipping as needed. Cook for about about 9-10 minutes total or until the chicken is cooked through. Cooked chicken should be no longer pink in the middle and register 165 degrees when measured with a meat thermometer.

For The Bruschetta Sauce

1. Turn the heat down to medium low. Add ¼ cup of olive oil to the pan and all of the sliced cherry tomatoes. Next add the vinegar, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Simmer over medium low heat for about a minute.

2. Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of pasta water to the tomatoes and mix well until combined.

3. Slice the chicken in thin strips, and add the chicken on top of the pasta. Top generously with parmesan cheese. Fresh chopped basil or parsley is also delicious on top. Enjoy!

How Do I Slice A Chicken Cutlet?

When slicing a chicken cutlet, you’re going to carefully slice the chicken breast in half to have to thinner wide pieces of chicken. This will help the chicken to cook much faster than if it was a thicker slice, but also help it to stay juicier. The goal is to slice the chicken as evenly as possible. You can see pictures of how to slice a chicken cutlet here.

If after cutting the chicken into two pieces, you find that the chicken is not about the same thickness, you may want to also pound the chicken breasts a little thinner.

Place the chicken between two pieces of parchment paper or saran wrap. Use a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy cast iron pan to gently pound the chicken until they are all about the same thickness, usually about 1/4 inch thick.

You can buy chicken already in cutlets, but the grocery store tends to charge extra for them. Slicing chicken breast into cutlets is much easier and less expensive.

How Do I Add Balsamic Glaze?

Add a little drizzle of balsamic glaze at the table, I like to allow all of us to add it to our plates individually. My child usually only enjoys a little glaze on top of her pasta.

Balsamic glaze is a thicker and cooked down balsamic that has been sweetened a little, it tastes sweet and a little tangy. Try this easy balsamic glaze recipe or you can purchase balsamic glaze premade at the grocery store. Trader Joe’s has a great balsamic glaze that I like to use. I’ve also used Whole Food’s balsamic glaze and it’s delicious too.

Can I Swap In Shrimp To Make This Recipe?

Sure, shrimp is delicious in this dish. I recommend sauteing the shrimp in the same oil and spices you would use for the chicken.

Cook the shrimp for two to three minutes then remove from the pan. Cook everything else in the dish and add the shrimp back to the pasta at the very end right before serving.

Or try this delicious Shrimp Carbonara from my friend over at the Cheerful Cook for another quick and delicious Shrimp Pasta.

Can I Grill The Chicken For This Easy Pasta Dish?

You can totally grill the chicken to add to the pasta, delicious. You may want to add a little oil to your chicken and make sure you cook it to an internal temperature of 165. There should be no pink in the center.

Marinating the chicken before grilling can also make it extra juicy. Use 1/4 cup of oil (olive oil or avocado oil), a tablespoon of Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon for a super fast marinade.

If you like grilled chicken, try my fajita grilled chicken kabobs for a Mexican flavor twist.

Can I Swap The Spaghetti In This Bruschetta Pasta?

You can swap the pasta type in this recipe.

I recommend thin spaghetti as it balances with the rest of the ingredients well, like spaghetti or angel hair pasta.

Short but shaped pasta also work well for this recipe. There are tons of choices, but bowties (also called farfalle), penne, or twisted fusilli are favorites at our house,

Swapping in tortellini would also be a fun way to switch up this dish.

A thicker noodle, like linguini for example, usually works a little better for a thicker sauce like alfredo sauce. I usually save thicker noodles for other dishes as they can be a bit heavy in this dish.