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This easy chicken bruschetta pasta is packed with tender chicken breast and zesty tomatoes in a sweet and tart balsamic sauce. Enjoy it with a glass of wine on date night, or at family dinner with sparkling grape juice for the kids.
If you love the fresh Italian flavors in this bruschetta chicken pasta, try more easy recipes like this one-pot Caprese pasta, this creamy chicken orzo, and my lemon chicken fettuccine, next!
Bruschetta and pasta are two classic Italian dishes I can’t get enough of. So, why not put them together? This bruschetta chicken pasta has chopped basil, chunks of fresh tomato, and homemade vinaigrette dressing tossed with juicy bites of chicken. Every bite is popping with bright, fresh, Mediterranean-style flavors. It’s a perfect family meal, and it’s gone straight into our Sunday dinner rotation lately. You’ll see why soon enough!
What I Love About This Bruschetta Pasta
- It’s quick. This chicken bruschetta pasta is a quick and easy dinner that’s ready in about 35 minutes.
- Full of flavor. This pasta dish is bursting with all of my favorite Italian-inspired ingredients, like fresh garden tomatoes, zesty basil, and garlic. Everything gets tossed together with tender pasta, tomato sauce, and pan-seared chicken pieces before I drizzle it with a tangy balsamic reduction. SO GOOD!
- Adaptable. Change out the chicken for another protein, use your favorite pasta shapes, and amp up the tomato bruschetta sauce with chilies, seasonings, and more. Like any good pasta recipe, this one’s super flexible.
What Is Bruschetta?
Bruschetta is a classic Italian appetizer traditionally served on a slice of toasted bread. The bread is rubbed in olive oil and garlic, then topped with a mixture of chopped tomatoes and basil that’s tossed in balsamic vinegar before being piled on top of the crispy bread. It’s the inspiration behind my bruschetta chicken! For this recipe, we’re taking all those traditional bruschetta flavors and swapping the bread with pasta.
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients list is short and sweet for this easy bruschetta pasta recipe. Recreating all those fresh and zesty tomato-y flavors comes down to a few key add-ins! I’ve included some notes below. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list with the full amounts and recipe details.
- Pasta – I like to use bowtie pasta because the balsamic clings to the ridges, but you can use any kind of pasta you prefer. Penne, rigatoni, shells, and even long pasta, like linguine or fettuccine will all work here.
- Olive Oil – An Italian cooking staple. Avocado oil is a good substitute.
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into cubes.
- Tomatoes – I use Roma tomatoes, which are tender and flavorful, but still hold up well in the sauce. Feel free to use whichever tomatoes you have on hand. Cherry tomatoes are fine, too.
- Basil – Fresh basil is a must! Slice the fresh leaves into thin ribbons.
- Garlic – Minced whole cloves.
- Tomato Sauce – Choose your favorite jar of tomato sauce, marinara, or passata from the store. If you have a homemade recipe, that works, too!
- Balsamic Vinegar – To simmer with sugar to make a balsamic glaze. You could also use red wine vinegar, though the flavor won’t be quite the same.
How to Make Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
It’s time to turn this classic appetizer into the best weeknight pasta dinner! Here’s how to make bruschetta chicken pasta in just a few simple steps:
- Cook the pasta. Boil a pot of water over the stove and prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package.
- Cook the chicken. Season your diced chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet and add the cubed chicken. Cook it until the chicken has browned evenly and it’s cooked through.
- Make the bruschetta. Dice the tomatoes and save the juices from them in a small bowl. Combine the diced tomatoes, tomato juices, basil, olive oil, salt pepper, and garlic.
- Make the tomato sauce. Sauté the rest of the garlic for about 20 seconds and then stir in the bruschetta. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and bring it to a boil. Pour the prepared pasta into the saucepan and toss it all around until the sauce coats the noodles completely.
- Make the vinaigrette. Bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil in a small separate pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook it until the vinaigrette turns into a thick syrup. Add it to the prepared pasta, tossing it again so the vinaigrette coats the noodles.
- Serve. Plate the pasta and top it with the prepared chicken before serving.
Tips and Variations
- Marinate the chicken for more flavor. If time allows, I like to marinate the chicken in extra balsamic vinaigrette for an hour or so in the fridge (not more than 4 hours, otherwise it makes the chicken rubbery).
- Dice the chicken into even pieces. This way, everything cooks at the same time and it prevents undercooking or dryness.
- Cooking times vary. Check the pasta cooking instructions on the box, as different types of pasta vary in cooking time and texture.
- Get creative with add-ins. Add more to the bruschetta with options like onions, feta, beans, cured meats, green olives, and veggies like eggplant, artichoke, zucchini, mushrooms, or bell pepper. I also think a chicken pasta inspired by caponata might be next!
- Different protein. Substitute protein with beef, ground turkey, Italian sausage, tofu, or remove it and add beans for a complete vegetarian meal.
- Make it gluten-free. For a gluten-free version, replace pasta with gluten-free noodles, sweet potato noodles, rice noodles, zucchini noodles, or tapioca noodles.
- Make it spicy. Add spice with spicy sausage instead of chicken, or sprinkle in some red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken bruschetta pasta pairs really well with garlic breadsticks or squares of fluffy homemade focaccia bread. For a veggie side, I think this bacon-wrapped asparagus goes perfectly with the sweet-tangy balsamic flavors! I also love this Mediterranean salad or green bean salad with bacon. Keep the Italian theme going with some pignoli cookies and a mug of cinnamon dolce latte for dessert!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. You can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Keep it sealed tightly, either in a bowl with plastic wrapped snugly over it or in an airtight container.
- Reheat. When you’re ready to reheat it, either warm it on the stove over medium heat or microwave it for 30 seconds at a time until it’s warmed through.
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
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Chicken Bruschetta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound bow tie pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 roma tomatoes
- 10 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Boil the pasta. Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package.
- Cook the chicken. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet; add the cubed chicken to the skillet and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F degrees. Set aside.
- Make the tomato mixture. Dice the tomatoes and save the juices in a small bowl. Combine the tomatoes, tomato juices, basil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, and half of the minced garlic; set aside. You can also make this ahead of time and refrigerate for 2 hours, covered.
- Sauté the garlic. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the remaining garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds, or until soft. Do not burn the garlic.
- Put it all together. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the prepared tomato salad. Add tomato sauce to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the prepared pasta to the saucepan and toss around until coated. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add a balsamic reduction. In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook until the sauce turns to a thick syrup. Remove from heat and add it to the prepared pasta.
- Serve! Transfer the pasta to a platter. Arrange the chicken over the pasta and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- To Store: Keep sealed tightly in the fridge covered in plastic or an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Cook on the stove over medium heat or microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
My mom found this recipe on Pinterest and shared it with me, and I’m so glad she did. Made this dish for dinner this evening and it was delicious! My fiancé, who isn’t a big fan of pasta, went back for a second helping (as did I)!
Some things I did different though:
1. Cooked chicken in the crock pot with chicken broth, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil.
2. I didn’t realize you could make the tomato salad bit ahead of time, so mine was fresh (and it still tasted amazing, FYI).
3. I used a full tablespoon of sugar in my balsamic reduction, but this is just personal preference.
4. I used garlic paste instead of fresh minced garlic. It’s just what I had on hand.
This recipe is fabulous, thank you so much for sharing it!
Very confusing recipe. Need to revise it!
Especially when it comes to the tomatoes, juice, sauce, and all these pans. Took longer then stated. Waste of money and time and it is not the best.
I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy it, Amanda. 🙁
How can a recipe with just a few basic ingredients and requiring very little preparation be, in your words, a waste of time and money? In my opinion you are being impolite and disrespectful. Maybe, dare I suggest, you should look at your own possible culinary failings. Just a thought.
Did you use tomato sauce or a pasta sauce? From the description above, you mentioned a basic garlic tomato sauce and a finishing sauce. Were these purchased separately? This looks so delicious! Thank you for sharing and I will definitely make this soon!
Hi Heidi! Yes, that would be pasta sauce. I should fix that. 😀
Also, I updated this recipe recently and did not use the sauces mentioned in the post. The original post was written 3 years ago.
I have the most random question – what is the seasoning that’s covering your entire pasta dish? I don’t see any ingredients like that in the recipe??
Hi Katie! That’s dried basil – I didn’t include it in the recipe because basil is already listed, but I only used the dried basil so others can see it more in the photos. I hope that helps. 😀
What if you don’t like tomatoes
I know this is a dumb question, but how much bruschetta are you suppose to use in this recipe, thanks!
This may be dumb, but am I missing something? It looks like there’s a whole bunch of seasoning on this dish, yet only pepper is listed. And what is the tomato sauce that could be eaten with a spoon? Just the tomatoes, garlic, basil and pepper? This looks amazing, so I don’t want to screw it up. 🙂
So making this for dinner and as I was making this I realized I have no balsamic vinagar Can the dish go without it or do you think it will be to watery?! If so what can I use to substitute? I have no vinagar at all
Hi Tyisha! No, it won’t be too watery, but it will definitely have a different taste. The balsamic adds a bit of tang and sweetness to the whole dish, but it should still be really good even with just the tomato sauce.
Made this last night. It was easy and so delicious. My husband isn’t a big pasta fan but he enjoyed this so much he wanted to take the leftovers to work for lunch. He never wants pasta leftovers. Was disappointed because the leftovers are usually mine.
Hi Amelia!! SO happy to hear that you liked the Bruschetta Pasta! Thank YOU!! 😀
Okay so I love finding new recipes, and I always make them as instructed the first time, then make some minor adjustments. However, this one. This one I changed the order of things because it made no sense and there are a lot of adjustments needed. One, you definitely took the pictures BEFORE adding the balsamic glaze, because the finished product was a poopy brown not a nice red. This is definitely not a pretty dish. Secondly, this is not a fast dish! There’s a two hour set time. Third, there’s way too much balsamic vinegar; it made it way to sweet and overpowered the tomato. Fourth , the final product is pictured with parmesan but not is listed. And, bruschetta is with mozzarella. So for next time and for others wanting to make this:
Start the tomato salad first, then once the hour to two hours is up, start on the pasta and chicken
The sauce really needs a whole cup of tomato sauce
Only make half of the balsamic glaze unless you want to be bombarded with sweetness and hate tomatoes
Start the balsamic glaze early if you don’t want to be waiting for it to finish while the rest gets cold.
Add mozzarella to the finished product
Don’t expect it to be pretty like pictured (though halving the glaze may help a little)
Kori, thanks for the additional info. I was just reading this recipe to make for dinner tomorrow night and was surprised to see that she instructs to cook the pasta and chicken before the 2-hour tomato marinade. I will modify this recipe with your suggestions.
Upthread she mentions that this recipe is updated; it seems as though the whole post ought to be rewritten or at least have an edit note put in? I think she used store bought bruschetta and store bought sauce in the original post-which makes sense, because if you pull it from a jar there is no waiting time. Also she marvels at how good it turns out despite her usually cooking everything from scratch. This seems to explain the confusion-at least, I hope it does! I’m in a hurry, so I’m going to have a shot at the original recipe even though the instructions no longer exist!