Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil Pasta

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This Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil Pasta with Garlic, and Parmesan Cheese is an quick and easy family dinner!  It takes only 30 minutes to make and feeds a family of 4.  Perfect anytime of year!

Sometimes less is more and this Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes Pasta with Basil, Garlic, and Parmesan Cheese has just a few ingredients, but you will WANT MORE!  It has a garlic-y backdrop with sweetness from the natural sugars that are released from the cherry tomatoes.  Then you get freshness from the basil, salty and nutty flavors from the Parmesan and a hearty bite from the chicken and pasta!!  It’s simply divine! 

To save time, you can also make the chicken with cherry tomatoes ahead and then warm up and mix with the pasta on the night you want to eat it.

Simple Recipe Video for this Chicken Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes Recipe is Inspired by Italy 

A few years back, my husband and I went to Italy to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.  One of my most treasured memories is taking a Cooking class with an Italian Chef in his own restaurant.  The Chef didn’t speak English, so we were forced to speak the language of food lovers. LOL, we had a translator.  It felt so much more meaningful and authentic with a true Italian Chef that was doing what he does each and every day…making exceptional food with a few amazing ingredients and a passion and love that took it over the top!

One of the dishes I loved the most started with a basic beautiful ingredient, Cherry Tomatoes. Cooked in a skillet with Olive Oil, they softened and Caramelized until they literally burst with flavor! This was my inspiration for this busy weeknight one-Pot meal recipe, Chicken and Cherry Tomato Pasta! 

My other favorite recipe inspired by my trip to Italy is my Walnut Sauce Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach.  This one is like no other sauce I have ever had before; a must-try!  Other easy Italian dishes to try are:

• Quick & Easy Pancetta, Parmesan, & Pepper Pasta
• Bruschetta Topping with Tomato, Artichoke, & Goat Cheese
• Skillet Ground Chicken Tomato Sauce with Ricotta
• Mushroom Quinoa Risotto
• Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

Simple Ingredients for this Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

Fridge or Fresh Ingredients

• Cherry Tomatoes – Let me first talk about these beautiful little tomatoes.  I used to think that using whole cherry or grape tomatoes in a sauce would be too much skin.  But let me tell ya, these little babies are so sweet and delicious and when they soften and burst, the skins just melt into the sauce perfectly.  Either grape or cherry tomatoes will be great in this recipe!
• Cloves garlic – Fresh is best when it comes to garlic. The great thing in this recipe is that you just need to peel it. The food processor does the rest. But you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! You can also substitute in dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts – You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Fresh Basil – Basil really is the ideal fresh herb for this recipe. However, if you don’t have it, you can use fresh parsley leaves for the freshness.

Pantry Ingredients

• Seasonings: Italian Seasoning, Salt, Ground Pepper
• Chicken Broth – Chicken stock is great too. Substitutes are vegetable broth or vegetable stock or beef broth or stock. You can also use ½ cup of hot water with ½ of a bouillon cube.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – You can substitute with any neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, or even coconut oil.
• Pasta – For the pasta, I used a gluten free spaghetti made with corn flour and rice flour as I just think this holds up best to a sauce.  You can certainly try one of the many different gluten free pastas out there made with Quinoa or Chickpea flour and more.  Of course, you can also use traditional wheat flour pasta too!

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps for Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details)

Honestly, this recipe is so easy, there really isn’t that much to prep in advance. 

I used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.  It’s the leanest and quickest cooking.  Cut the chicken into 1 inch by 2 inch pieces. TIP: Use kitchen scissors/shears for really easy cutting.

Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. If you are doing this step in advance, store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Peel and mince 2 cloves of garlic and store in fridge.  Grate parmesan cheese and keep in storage container in fridge.

Cooking this Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes Pasta

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and cook pasta to al dente. Drain well, but save a cup of the cooking pasta water for later.

For this one-pan recipe, you need a large frying pan or skillet.  I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.  

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

To the same skillet, turn heat to medium and add another teaspoon of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and chicken broth, to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to softened and burst, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the chicken back to the pan and combine with the tomatoes.

Turn off heat and stir in pasta.  Once combined, add the basil, parmesan and 1 tablespoon olive oil and give it another toss until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.  

Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes Recipe FAQs

Can I use rotisserie or leftover chicken or turkey in this Chicken Cherry Tomato Recipe?

To save time, you can use pre-cooked chicken or leftover turkey in this Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes Pasta recipe.  Simply skip Cooking step 2, which is cooking the meat.  Instead of cooking the meat, in the Prep Steps, you will cut the chicken or turkey into cubes or shred it into about 1 inch pieces.  Then season it with a touch of salt, black pepper, and dried oregano, just as the instructions say to do for the raw chicken.  Then in Cooking Step 4, add the chicken or turkey to the pan with the tomatoes and let it warm through for about 3-5 minutes.  Then follow the normal cooking instructions in the recipe after that.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts with Cherry Tomatoes in this Recipe?

You can use chicken thighs in this Cherry Tomatoes Pasta, but I recommend sticking with boneless skinless thighs for easy prep and cooking.  Consider the amount of thighs that you will need as well.  Generally, I estimate 16 ounces or 1 pound of chicken for 4 servings.  That will likely mean 5-6 boneless skinless thighs, depending on their size.  The recipe instructions will be the same for thighs as the breasts.

Can I use other types of tomatoes with this Chicken Pasta?

For this Chicken Pasta recipe, cherry tomatoes have a fantastically sweet flavor that is different from larger tomatoes.  You can swap with grape tomatoes for the same flavor and experience.  If you don’t have cherry or grape, you can certainly use other tomatoes, but you will need to cut them to bite-size pieces and will want to cook them for only 2-3 minutes.  Any longer, they will start to melt into the sauce and you won’t get that bright burst of flavor.  The next best after cherry or grape tomatoes are plum tomatoes.

Can I use canned tomatoes in this Chicken Pasta recipe?

Canned tomatoes are not a substitute for fresh in this specific Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes recipe.  Of course canned are great and you can certainly use them to create your own pasta dish, but this recipe will not work with them.  Canned whole peeled tomatoes would be the closest thing, but they also include a sauce, so it would be more of a tomato sauce rather than pasta with tomatoes.  My Chicken and Tomato Sauce with Ricotta is a great option for canned tomatoes!

Can I add an acid to the Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes Pasta recipe, such as lemon?

I did not add any acid to this Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes recipe, but as a last step, you could squeeze a half lemon juice over top for a fresh and bright finish.  I do not recommend adding any white wine vinegar to it.

ENJOY!😍 Carrie

Be sure to check out the web story for this delicious Cherry Tomato Pasta with Chicken!

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!

 

Want more ideas?  Check out these amazing Weekend Potluck menus with tons of ideas!