Chicken Caprese Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce

Chicken mixed with pasta, tomatoes in a basil pesto sauce with mozzarella cheese.

5 from 14 votes

Chicken Caprese Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce

This Chicken Caprese pasta dish consists of juicy and flavorful Caprese-inspired ingredients. It's the perfect summer meal alongside garlic bread and grilled veggies!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Chicken, Main Course Pasta

Cuisine: American-Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 448kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Equipment

Ingredients

9 oz fresh linguine
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes halved
1 oz. shallot thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
4 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
3 tablespoons basil pesto
¼ cup fresh basil small leaves
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese torn into ½-inch pieces

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions in a large Dutch oven, adding salt once water comes to a boil.
Drain pasta, reserving 1 ½ cups cooking water.
Wipe Dutch oven clean, and add olive oil. Heat oil over medium-high.
Add tomatoes to hot oil, and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
Add shallot, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes.
Stir in garlic; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
Add chicken, pasta, basil pesto, and ½ cup of reserved cooking water to tomato mixture, stirring to combine.
Gradually stir in remaining cooking water, ¼ cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with basil and mozzarella. Serve immediately.

Notes

TIPS:

- Chicken breast is great for this dish. You could also use leftover shredded chicken from other recipes in the week or shred a rotisserie chicken.

- Leftover pasta will absorb moisture from the other ingredients in this dish. You may need to add a splash of water or broth to loosen the leftovers or mix in extra pesto.

- The salty and starchy reserved pasta water adds flavor and thickness to the saucy mixture without diluting the flavor.

- Keep a couple of halved cherry tomatoes aside and add them as garnish to the assembled pasta dish for extra color and texture.

STORAGE:

Leftover chicken Caprese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop.

It’s possible to freeze this chicken Caprese pasta dish, although the consistency and texture of the dish may change.

Nutrition