This chicken pasta salad is a delicious no-fuss weeknight dinner packed full of chicken, fresh tomatoes, and flavor. This dish can be served hot or cold as a bruschetta pasta salad.
Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
Enjoy all the flavors of bruschetta in one simple recipe. If you have fresh garden tomatoes, this is the recipe to showcase their full flavors.
Rather than the tomatoes being on top of a crusty baguette, they will be served with spaghetti. It is amazing how simple this recipe is and how the flavors combine for a fresh pasta salad.
Have this weeknight meal ready in under 30 minutes.
TGI Friday’s Restaurant Copycat Recipe
Have you ever tried their bruschetta chicken pasta? If you are not familiar with this dish, it is savory chicken served on top of a bed of angle hair pasta that has tomatoes, onions, garlic, and balsamic vinaigrette. Top this with a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese and balsamic glaze and you can enjoy this simple recipe at home.
Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredients
Pasta. I like the long thin angel hair pasta best for this recipe. However, shorter pasta such as penne or gemelli work well too.
Tomatoes. If you can get them from your garden or your local farmer’s market, that is a perfect option for this recipe. Roma tomatoes are great in this recipe; however, I have used cherry tomatoes and even beef steak tomatoes. They all taste delicious with this, so add what you like the taste of.
Chicken. Two chicken breasts are all that is needed for this recipe. However, if you are feeding a hungry family add more. I have also used rotisserie chicken for this recipe. Just add the seasoning and cook the chicken to get the flavors cooked through and you are all set.
Onion. I use red onion diced in this recipe. However, if the onion flavor is too strong for you, give it a rinse under water. This will help reduce the potency of the onion flavor. Another onion option is to use green onions or Vedalia onions.
Balsamic Vinegar. The taste of balsamic vinegar can vary greatly. I like to use a nice tasting one since it is another star in this dish and balsamic glaze is the topping.
Italian Spices. In this dish, I like the combination of the dried herbs and fresh. Therefore, I use the dried Italian spices and dice fresh basil and parsley for that added freshness.
Parmesan Cheese. For this recipe, fresh is best. However, in a pinch, shake on the kind from the container it will do simply fine. If you want to change up the flavor a bit, try a specialty cheese like Asiago, BellaViTano, Romano, or Fontina cheese.
How to Make this Chicken Pasta Dish
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix and season both sides of the chicken. Sear the chicken breasts over medium-high heat until booked through and golden brown on the outside. Set aside
Next, in the same pan sauté the garlic and red onion until you can smell the garlic. Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes gently tossing to combine. Add the tomatoes to the pasta.
Finally, add the vinegar, parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley to the pasta dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the chicken and add to the pasta. Toss to combine. Top with shredded parmesan cheese and balsamic glaze.
Give this healthy weeknight meal a try, you can be enjoying this in under 30 minutes.
Chicken Pasta Salad
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Thin Spaghetti cooked according to package directions
Preparing the Chicken
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken diced up
- 2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Preparing the Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic Minced
- 2 Tablespoons Red Onion approximately ½ an onion finely diced
- 8 Roma Tomatoes Diced, can use cherry tomatoes too
Assembling the Pasta Salad
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese grated, plus more as a topping when serving
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil or Parsley Chopped
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Glaze to drizzle over the top when serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.1 Pound Thin Spaghetti
Preparing the Chicken
- In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix and season both sides of the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet and sear the chicken breasts over medium-high heat until booked through and golden brown on the outside. Remove from the pan and allow the meat to rest.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Pound Chicken breasts, 2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning, 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper
Preparing the Sauce
- In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the garlic and red onion until you can smell the garlic. This should take 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes gently tossing to combine. Add this mixture to the pasta.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Red Onion, 8 Roma Tomatoes
- Add the vinegar, parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley to the pasta dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the chicken and add to the pasta. Toss to combine.2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar, ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Top with additional parmesan cheese, fresh basil or parsley, and balsamic glaze.2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil or Parsley Chopped
- This can be served warm or cold.
