Easy Boursin Tomato Pasta with Chicken

This Easy recipe for Boursin Tomato Pasta with Chicken added is a well-rounded meal for any busy weeknight! Great for family and super for entertaining too!

Alright, folks, confession time: I usually steer clear of fad-recipes that are all the rage on social media. But sometimes, even I can’t resist hopping on a trend—especially when it’s something I’ve whipping up myself in the past! Enter my Boursin Cheese and Tomato Pasta with Chicken.

This dish is an old favorite of mine from pre-kids days when I was all about friends, wine, and cheese. I had Boursin cheese leftover and tossed it in with pasta and let me tell you, it’s as mouthwateringly delicious as I remember. But I’ve updated the recipe to add in chicken and make it a meal for a really easy weeknight dinner!

It has creamy Boursin cheese melting into the chicken and sweet tomatoes, then coating tender pasta. I added more fresh garlic and a sprinkle of fresh parsley to brighten it up. It’s a flavor bomb that’ll have you going back for seconds (or thirds). Trust me, this one’s a keeper! And it really couldn’t be easier to make during the busy week!

Want more tips for making busy family dinners easier?  Click here for my Free Printable 5 Simple Steps to Easy Family Dinners!

Why The Keyword Is Special

Aside from the delicious flavor and creamy texture, here are more reasons to love this recipe.

• Quick Preparation: This is a quick 30-minute meal and even faster if you prep the chicken and cherry tomatoes ahead.
• Fewer Ingredients: The Boursin cheese has the creamy cheese plus garlic and herbs right in it. So, while I add more fresh garlic, you could just use the Boursin and get tons of flavor.
• Family-Friendly: The flavors are kid-approved and appealing to all ages, making it a hit with the whole family.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

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• Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless skinless – You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can also use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken and add it to the sauce at the end before mixing in the pasta to warm through. I always have chicken on hand in the freezer, so be sure to check out all of my chicken prep and storing tips like this.
• Seasonings – I used simply salt & ground black pepper on the chicken, but you can use any of your favorite seasonings or herbs. If you want a bit of heat, you can add red pepper flakes or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to the sauce at the same time as the cheese.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This is for cooking the chicken in the pan. You can substitute with any neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, or even coconut oil.
• 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.
• Fresh Cherry Tomatoes or Grape Tomatoes – These small tomatoes bring brightness and sweetness to the dish. You can leave them whole, but they may take more time to cook and get soft and break open in the sauce. You can also use other diced fresh tomatoes, such as vine or beefsteak tomatoes, but they won’t give you the same sweetness.
• Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese – Boursin is a mild French soft cheese that is perfect for flavoring sauces. If you are using a partial leftover package of Boursin cheese, you can supplement with cream cheese, add in grated parmesan cheese, or even a dollop of sour cream for some tang.
• Chicken broth – Chicken stock is great too. Substitutes are vegetable broth or stock, beef broth or stock, or a dry white wine.
• Parsley – Fresh parsley is best, don’t even bother with dried parsley. You can substitute in other fresh herbs, such as fresh basil or oregano.
• Pasta – use your favorite pasta shape. I enjoy it with fettuccine noodles but any shape will be well coated by the creamy sauce.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment

For this recipe, you will need a large pot for the pasta.

Use a large skillet/frying pan or dutch oven for making the chicken and creamy sauce. 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. 

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

Cut the chicken into strips about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper.

Halve the cherry or grape tomatoes. Chop the parsley. Peel and mince or grate the garlic.

Time-Saving Tip! Buy prepackaged raw chicken strips. These are available in the chicken section at most stores these days.

If you are ready to cook, move on. If not, store these separately in airtight containers in the fridge for 1-2 days until ready to cook.

Cooking Steps for Boursin Tomato Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water up to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta for 5-7 minutes until al dente. If using fresh pasta, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Remember to save a cup of pasta water, then strain the pasta and set it aside.

Add the chicken strips to a hot skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then flip the strips over to brown the other side.

Turn down the heat to low heat and add the tomatoes and minced garlic to the pan.

Mix in the boursin cheese. Stir until it is melted and combined with the broth and chicken.

Mix the pasta into the pan or mix the chicken and sauce into the pot with the pasta (whichever option gives you more room to mix). Garnish with parsley. Serve and enjoy!!

TIP: Struggling with thick pasta sauce? Here’s a simple yet effective trick to achieve the perfect consistency every time. If your sauce ever gets slightly too thick, add a bit of hot reserved pasta water. This will help thin out the sauce and ensure it clings beautifully to your pasta. Hot pasta water isn’t just any water – it contains starch from the cooked pasta, which helps emulsify the cheese and other ingredients in your sauce.

Variations on Boursin Cheese Pasta Recipe

Here are some variations on Boursin Tomato Pasta with Chicken that can add different flavors and textures to the dish:

• Vegetarian – replace chicken with roasted vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. Incorporate chickpeas or white beans for added protein.
• Meat – add shrimp, bacon, or Chicken Italian sausage for alternatives
• Vegetables – add extra veggies to this, such as fresh baby spinach leaves, roasted red peppers, and/or mushrooms for a more nutrient-dense meal to accompany the proteins.
• Mediterranean – sun-dried tomatoes or olives would add a lot of flavor

Boursin Tomato Pasta with Chicken Recipe FAQs

Can I use feta instead of Boursin cheese in this meal?

Boursin offers a smoother texture to the sauce and is less tangy than feta making it a better choice for this cheesy pasta dish. It’s also a less salty cheese.

Can this be prepared as a dairy-free recipe?

Boursin does offer a dairy-free option that can be used and then this recipe is going to be good for those who can’t eat dairy.

How do you save leftovers?

Once the dish is completely cooled, you can place the meat sauce and pasta into an airtight container. It will last 3-4 days. To reheat the meal, add it to a saucepan on the stove over low heat and add a little milk or chicken broth to the sauce to thin it out as needed.

How can this dish be served low-carb?

Instead of using pasta to serve this dish, serve it in a bowl with a spoon and enjoy as-is or add zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.

Want More Recipes like this?

If you like creamy sauce over pasta, then you will love these recipes too!

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!

Easy Boursin Tomato Pasta with Chicken

Carrie Tyler

This Easy recipe for Boursin Tomato Pasta with Chicken is a perfect weeknight family dinner! It has creamy Boursin cheese melting into the chicken and sweet tomatoes, then coating tender pasta. I added more fresh garlic and a sprinkle of fresh parsley to brighten it up. It's a flavor bomb that’ll have you going back for seconds (or thirds).

Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved! Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course, pasta

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless skinless
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Ground Black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 8 ounces Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
• 1 package Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese, 5.2 ounces
• ½ cup Chicken stock or broth
• ¼ cup Parsley finely chopped
• 10 ounces Pasta, uncooked I used linguini, but any dry pasta will work

Instructions

 

Prep Ahead Steps

• Cut the chicken into strips about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper.
• Halve the cherry or grape tomatoes. Chop the parsley. Peel and mince or grate the garlic.

Cooking Steps

• Bring a large pot of water up to a boil over high heat and add a tablespoon of salt. Cook the pasta for 5-7 minutes until al dente. If using fresh pasta, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. If the pasta is done cooking before you are ready to add it to the sauce, save a cup of the pasta water, then strain the pasta and set it aside. (PRO TIP: wait to add the pasta to the boiling water until you have flipped the chicken. This will time it so that your pasta is ready when you are.)
• Preheat a large skillet or frying pan on high heat. Add the olive oil and then the chicken strips, separating them as much as possible into a single layer so that they all can get browned. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then flip the strips over to brown the other side. Reduce to medium heat and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
• Once the chicken is cooked through (no longer pink in the center) turn down the heat to low heat and add the tomatoes and minced garlic to the pan. Then add the chicken broth and scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Mix in the boursin cheese. Stir until it is melted and combined with the broth and chicken.
• At this point, you can mix the pasta into the pan or mix the chicken and sauce into the pot with the pasta (whichever option gives you more room to mix). Garnish with parsley. Serve and enjoy!!

Keyword Boursin Cheese, cherry tomatoes, chicken breast, pasta