In this delicious pasta recipe, linguine noodles are tossed with seasoned chicken breasts and a quick and easy tomato sauce.
First we start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and season them with a combination of herbs and spices. Then they’re pan fried in a generous amount of olive oil until cooked through. We use that same skillet to make a light and tasty tomato sauce. We take some help from the market with some canned fire roasted crushed tomatoes. Then we add some flavor with onions, garlic and herbs and spices.
Then the linguine and chicken gets tossed for a fantastic pasta dinner. This dish is easy, filling and budget friendly which is perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 – 1½ pound Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless (2 small breasts or 1 large breast) cut in half lengthwise to make two thinner pieces
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried Rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Pinch Crushed Red Pepper, optional
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion, diced
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can Crushed Tomatoes, or 2 (14.5 ounce) cans, we used fire roasted tomatoes
- 12 ounces Linguine, cooked to package directions for al dente (or use your favorite pasta)
- Salt for the Pasta Water
- Chopped Parsley, for garnish
- Parmesan Cheese, for serving if desired
Prep Work
The prep work on this dish is quick and easy. Start with skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Here we used two chicken breasts because they were on the smaller side, but sometimes, one large breast is enough.
Cut the chicken in half lengthwise, to make two smaller pieces. Like butterflying, but go all the way through. We want thin pieces of chicken so they cook up quickly.
Next, prepare a seasoning mix. Add the salt, dried oregano, garlic powder, rosemary, dried thyme, black pepper and the crushed red pepper (if using). Stir the spices together to combine.
Season the chicken on both sides with about half of the seasoning mix. Reserve the remaining mix for the sauce.
Now, dice the onion, mince the garlic, open the can of tomatoes and measure out the oil and pasta.
Finally, start a large pot of water so that the water is boiling when we need it. I like to just get it going over medium heat with the pot covered. Then when it’s time to cook the pasta, I just crank the heat for a few minutes and the water is ready.
Cook the chicken breast
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Use a skillet that is large enough to cook the sauce and finish by tossing the pasta at the end.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5 minutes or so, or until the chicken is cooked through. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken. It could be more or less time.
When cooked through, the juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, and the internal temperature on the largest piece should be at least 165°F on an food thermometer.
Take the skillet off the heat. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place them on a plate or pan. Cover it loosely with aluminum foil and/or place the plate in the microwave or oven. The chicken will stay nice and warm away from drafts.
Make the tomato sauce
- Do not wash or wipe the skillet. We want to make the sauce using the same oil we used to cook the chicken.
- Place the skillet back over medium heat, add the onions and cook them for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Next, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Finally, add the tomatoes and the reserved seasoning mix.
- Stir the sauce well, while gently scrapping any bits off the bottom of the skillet. Slowly bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and cover.
- Cook the tomato sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on it, make sure it stays at a simmer. If it’s boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a touch. As a reference, I was close to low heat when all was said and done.
Finish the chicken tomato pasta
- When there’s about 10-15 left on the sauce, crank the heat on the boiling water. Remember to add a generous amount of salt to the pasta water. I usually add about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt.
- When the pasta water is at a full boil, add the pasta and cook to package directions for al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water so we can loosen the tomato sauce if needed.
- Set the cooked pasta aside and slice the chicken breasts into thin slices or cubes, whatever you prefer.
- Stir the tomato sauce and give it a taste. Add extra salt and black pepper to taste, if needed. As a reference we did not add extra salt to our tomato sauce.
- Add the linguine to the tomato sauce along with about a 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, toss well to coat. Add more pasta water if needed to make the noodles easier to toss. Add the sliced chicken and chopped parsley and toss until combined.
- Serve the chicken tomato pasta with parmesan cheese and extra crushed red pepper, if desired. Enjoy!
You may also like these easy pasta recipes
- Ravioli Bake
- Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Orecchiette with Italian Sausage
- Lemon Pepper Pasta
- Chicken and Egg Noodles
- Italian Sausage Spaghetti
📖 Recipe
Chicken Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 1– 1½ pound Chicken Breast boneless, skinless, cut in half to make two thinner pieces
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried Rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Pinch Crushed Red Pepper optional
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion diced
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 28 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes, or 2 (14.5 ounce) cans
- 12 ounces Linguine cooked to package directions for al dente
- Salt for the Pasta Water
- 1-2 tablespoons Chopped Parsley for garnish
- Parmesan Cheese for serving if desired
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise, to make two smaller pieces.
- Add the salt, dried oregano, garlic powder, rosemary, dried thyme, black pepper and the crushed red pepper (if using). Stir the spices together to combine.
- Season the chicken on both sides with about half of the seasoning mix. Reserve the remaining mix for the sauce.
Cook the chicken breast
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and at least 165°F at its thickest part.
- Take the skillet off the heat. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place on a plate or pan and keep warm.
Make the tomato sauce
- Do not wash or wipe the skillet.
- Place the skillet back over medium heat, add the onions and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the tomatoes and the reserved seasoning mix. Stir the sauce well, while gently scrapping any bits off the bottom of the skillet. Slowly bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and cover.
- Cook the tomato sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the sauce at a simmer, if it’s boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
Cook the pasta
- When there’s about 10-15 left on the sauce, crank the heat on the boiling water. Remember to add a generous amount of salt to the pasta water. Cook to package directions for al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Set the cooked pasta aside and slice the chicken breasts into thin slices or cubes.
- Taste the tomato sauce, add extra salt and black pepper to taste, if needed. As a reference we did not add extra salt to our tomato sauce.
- Add the linguine to the tomato sauce along with about a 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, toss well to coat. Add the sliced chicken and chopped parsley and toss until combined.
- Serve the chicken tomato pasta with parmesan cheese and extra crushed red pepper, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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