Tomato, Basil and Chicken Pasta is a quick and easy dish that is perfect any night of the week! Spaghetti tossed in a delicious tomato sauce with fragrant basil and tender chicken breast. These simple but classic ingredients come together to make a dish that is fresh and indulgent.
We all need a few multi-tasking pasta dishes in our repertoire. Those dinners that come together quickly without too many ingredients, but still feel a bit more elevated than typical pantry pastas. Just like my Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta or Spring Vegetable Pasta Primavera, this Tomato, Basil and Chicken Spaghetti is perfect for every night, including those when you are entertaining.
The rich tomato sauce tastes like it has been simmering for hours, and the fresh basil really elevates and brightens the whole dish. It is a basic tomato and chicken pasta which I eat like comfort food but can also dress up for Date Night or dinner guests.
Why You Need to Try This Pasta
- Packed with Flavour – The combination of sweet tomato, fragrant basil, and tender chicken go together so beautifully. The tomato & basil pasta sauce is fresh, satisfying and SO delicious.
- Easy – This tomato pasta is so easy to prepare, even for novice cooks. With just a few ingredients and a handful of steps, you can whip up a restaurant quality dish at home in under an hour!
- Versatile – Tomato, basil, and chicken spaghetti is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed o many different occasions. Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight family dinner or entertaining guests, this recipe is sure to impress.
Ingredient Notes
The full list is in the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful hints about key ingredients to help you make the best Tomato Basil and Chicken Pasta.
- Pasta – I love spaghetti for this tomato, basil and chicken sauce, but almost any pasta shape will work well.
- Tinned Chopped Tomatoes – For quick recipes with less than an hour simmer time like this sauce, I prefer chopped over plum tinned tomato. Use the best quality you can reasonably afford, but I find most supermarket own brands are pretty good these days and budget friendly.
- Basil – I use dried basil during cooking and fresh basil right at the end for extra flavour. You can get away with using just dried basil in a pinch.
- Chicken Breast – I slice a whole breast into two thinner cutlets to speed up cooking time. You can also use chicken thighs but you may need to adjust the cooking time.
Serving and Storing
I love my Tomato, Basil and Chicken Pasta served with a simple green salad or some garlic bread on the side.
This tomato pasta recipe is also a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken or turkey – follow the instructions as below to make the sauce, and add the cooked chicken in at the end for about 5 minutes to warm through.
To make this pasta dish go further, add an extra can of tomatoes and stretch the sauce to four portions.
If you are looking for a lower carb or gluten free option, toss this tasty tomato and chicken sauce with some creamy white beans instead of pasta.
You can freeze the tomato, basil and chicken pasta sauce for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Store leftover sauce in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat on the stove (it may need an additional splash of water) and stir in freshly cooked pasta.
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @carrieskitchen_ if you make it!
More Chicken Pasta Dishes:
- Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Pasta with Garlic Bread Crumb
- Chicken & Sweetcorn Pasta Salad
- Chicken & Chorizo Pasta Bake
- Vodka Pasta with Chicken
Tomato, Basil and Chicken Pasta
Equipment
- Frying pan or skillet I use my Always Pan
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- large pot for cooking pasta
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast
- 400 gram tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 onion - diced
- 3 garlic cloves - diced
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp dried basil
- small bunch fresh basil - chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- grated parmesan - to garnish
- 180 grams spaghetti - or pasta of your choice
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a deep pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions with a ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook for about 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
- Stir in the chopped garlic, dried basil, tomato puree and a pinch of black pepper (about 1/8 tsp – you can add more or less to taste). Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Meanwhile, slice the chicken breast in half lengthways to create two thinner cutlets – this will help the chicken cook quickly and evenly. Season each cutlet lightly with salt and pepper.
- Add the tin of chopped tomatoes to the pan, then refill the tin halfway with water. Swirl around to pick up any tomato bit left in the tin, then pour the tomato water into the pan as well.
- Give everything a good stir, then bring to a slow bubbling boil.
- Add the chicken breast cutlets to the pan. They should hopefully be fully submerged in the tomato sauce mixture, but if you are using a wider pan and the chicken is slightly exposed spoon some of the sauce over the chicken pieces, and make sure to flip them over halfway through cooking.
- Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente – usually about 1-2 minutes under the packet cooking times. Drain, making sure to reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and use two forks to shred. Stir the shredded chicken breast back into the tomato sauce, along with the chopped fresh basil.
- Stir in the pasta, along with two tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Use tongs to stir everything well to combine, and add more pasta water if needed to get your desired consistency of sauce.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan and additional fresh basil.
Nutrition
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