Q: What’s easy to make, convenient, savory and satisfies all of your caprese needs? A: CHICKEN CAPRESE PASTA!
This recipe is too simple you guys. And I mean simple in all the best ways.
Perfectly cooked Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini tossed together with bursting cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, a silky smooth balsamic reduction and ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese.
Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini is made with 3 simple ingredients – a dash of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and “al dente” rotini. Zero preservatives and ridiculously delicious. Plus, it only takes 60 seconds in the microwave for perfect pasta!
Toss it all together with rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken breasts and you’re done!
It’s a pasta-lovers dream come true.
I buy the Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini at my local Vons. I frequent the pasta aisle quite often, and was so excited to see this on the shelves!
An employee actually saw me looking at them and mentioned how much she loves them. Their staff is always so friendly!
Also, I don’t know about you, but I am always trying to maximize my savings, so I use the Vons mobile app and use their coupons all the time.
You gotta check out the “Just for U” (J4U) tab on the app and get $0.50 off 1 package of Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini.
If you love pasta salad recipes as much as I do, make sure to also check out my Caesar Pasta Salad , Easy Italian Pasta Salad , and Mason Jar Salad with Tortellini !
Ingredient Notes
Just so you get the full picture of how simple this really is, the ingredient list looks like this:
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Balsamic Reduction (store bought is perfect)
- Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini
- Chicken
- Basil
- Mozzarella
Season with simple pantry-staple ingredients like salt, pepper and olive oil; and you’ve got yourself a winning weeknight meal.
You’re not going to want to stop eating this one. It’s been on repeat in our house, and I am just loving how life-changingly easy it is to make!
Here’s the thing. You could totally boil off pasta or even be an over achiever and make it from scratch.
But may I offer up this idea…fully cooked pasta that’s ready in the microwave in just 60 seconds?
With the holidays approaching, I feel like there is going to be zero time to prep and weeknights are just always busy in general.
Enter this caprese chicken pasta. It’s basically a one-way ticket to a low-effort, high-reward meal!
How to make Caprese Chicken Pasta
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Blister the cherry tomatoes in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add in 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. balsamic reduction.
- Use a wooden spoon to press down on the tomatoes to release their juices.
- Add in the Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini, cubed chicken and basil. Stir.
- Add the mozzarella balls on top. Cover with a lid to melt mozzarella.
- Serve immediately with more fresh basil and extra balsamic reduction on top.
This recipe is very forgiving and adaptable. You can add garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper chili flakes, or enjoy with shrimp instead of chicken.
Enjoy!
More Pasta Favorites To Love
Easy Shell Pasta with Ground Turkey
One-Pot Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta
Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
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Caprese Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 oz. cherry tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/3 cup Balsamic reduction, divided
- 2 packages Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini
- 1 cup cooked chicken, cubed (I use a rotisserie chicken for convenience)
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese balls
- pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Blister the tomatoes: Toss cherry tomatoes in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. 10 oz. cherry tomatoes
- After about 5-6 minutes, the skins will begin to blister. Turn the heat down and add in 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. balsamic reduction. Stir carefully to avoid splatter. 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/3 cup Balsamic reduction, divided
- Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on the tomatoes to release some of their juices.
- Add in the Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini, chicken and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir. (This doesn’t take long, just toss into the pan for approximately 15 seconds) 2 packages Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini, 1 cup cooked chicken, cubed (I use a rotisserie chicken for convenience), 1/3 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, pinch salt and pepper, to taste
- Add the mozzarella balls on top. Cover with a lid to melt the cheese slightly. (1-2 minutes) 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese balls
- Drizzle with remaining balsamic reduction and garnish with more basil, as desired. Enjoy warm.
