5 from 8 reviews

Easy Chicken Caprese Pasta

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chicken pasta with basil and tomatoes

Q: What’s easy to make, convenient, savory and satisfies all of your caprese needs? A: CHICKEN CAPRESE PASTA!

This post has been sponsored by Barilla®. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Kroll’s Korner running!

This recipe is too simple you guys. And I mean simple in all the best ways.

Perfectly cooked Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini tossed together with bursting cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, a silky smooth balsamic reduction and ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese.

Chicken Caprese Pasta in a frying pan

Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini is made with 3 simple ingredients – a dash of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and “al dente” rotini. Zero preservatives and ridiculously delicious. Plus, it only takes 60 seconds in the microwave for perfect pasta!

Toss it all together with rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken breasts and you’re done!

It’s a pasta-lovers dream come true.

up close shot of Chicken Caprese Pasta

I buy the Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini at my local Vons. I frequent the pasta aisle quite often, and was so excited to see this on the shelves!

An employee actually saw me looking at them and mentioned how much she loves them. Their staff is always so friendly!

Chicken Caprese Pasta in a non stick frying pan

Also, I don’t know about you, but I am always trying to maximize my savings, so I use the Vons mobile app and use their coupons all the time.

You gotta check out the “Just for U” (J4U) tab on the app and get ​$0.50 off 1 package of Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini.

If you love pasta salad recipes as much as I do, make sure to also check out my Caesar Pasta Salad, Easy Italian Pasta Salad, and Mason Jar Salad with Tortellini!

Ingredient Notes

Just so you get the full picture of how simple this really is, the ingredient list looks like this:

ingredients needed to make Chicken Caprese Pasta

(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)

  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Balsamic Reduction (store bought is perfect)
  • Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini
  • Chicken
  • Basil
  • Mozzarella

Season with simple pantry-staple ingredients like salt, pepper and olive oil; and you’ve got yourself a winning weeknight meal.

Caprese Pasta in a frying pan

You’re not going to want to stop eating this one. It’s been on repeat in our house, and I am just loving how life-changingly easy it is to make!

Here’s the thing. You could totally boil off pasta or even be an over achiever and make it from scratch.

But may I offer up this idea…fully cooked pasta that’s ready in the microwave in just 60 seconds?

With the holidays approaching, I feel like there is going to be zero time to prep and weeknights are just always busy in general.

Enter this caprese chicken pasta. It’s basically a one-way ticket to a low-effort, high-reward meal!

Caprese Pasta in a white bowl

How to make Caprese Chicken Pasta

(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)

  • Blister the cherry tomatoes in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add in 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. balsamic reduction.
  • Use a wooden spoon to press down on the tomatoes to release their juices.
  • Add in the Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini, cubed chicken and basil. Stir.
  • Add the mozzarella balls on top. Cover with a lid to melt mozzarella.
  • Serve immediately with more fresh basil and extra balsamic reduction on top.

This recipe is very forgiving and adaptable. You can add garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper chili flakes, or enjoy with shrimp instead of chicken.

Caprese Pasta in a white bowl

Enjoy!

What are your thoughts on balsamic vinegar?

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

chicken pasta with basil and tomatoes
5 from 8 reviews

Caprese Chicken Pasta

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Total: 13 minutes
Servings: 4 people
This Caprese Chicken Pasta is a simple, quick and flavorful pasta that comes together in 15 minutes or less for an easy weeknight dinner. It’s loaded with all of your favorite caprese flavors like basil, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar!

Ingredients

  • 10 oz. cherry tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/3 cup Balsamic reduction, divided
  • 2 packages Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini
  • 1 cup cooked chicken, cubed (I use a rotisserie chicken for convenience)
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese balls
  • pinch salt and pepper, to taste

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Blister the tomatoes: Toss cherry tomatoes in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally.
    10 oz. cherry tomatoes
  • After about 5-6 minutes, the skins will begin to blister. Turn the heat down and add in 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. balsamic reduction. Stir carefully to avoid splatter.
    1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/3 cup Balsamic reduction, divided
  • Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on the tomatoes to release some of their juices.
  • Add in the Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini, chicken and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir. (This doesn't take long, just toss into the pan for approximately 15 seconds)
    2 packages Barilla® Ready Pasta Rotini, 1 cup cooked chicken, cubed (I use a rotisserie chicken for convenience), 1/3 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, pinch salt and pepper, to taste
  • Add the mozzarella balls on top. Cover with a lid to melt the cheese slightly. (1-2 minutes)
    1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese balls
  • Drizzle with remaining balsamic reduction and garnish with more basil, as desired. Enjoy warm.

Video

Notes

This recipe is adaptable! Feel free to add garlic to the tomatoes or Italian season and red pepper chili flakes for some extra spice! Use a different protein, or leave the chicken out for a vegetarian friendly meal.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Krolls Korner

Krolls Korner

Welcome to my tiny “korner” on the Internet! I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves cookies as much as kale. (OK, maybe I like cookies a little bit more but shh, don’t tell anyone). I am so glad you’re here! Follow along for hassle free, realistic and approachable recipes.

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Taylor

The video doesn’t match the recipe

Sarah

Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!! I used whole grain penne since that’s what I had, but I definitely need to pick up the ready pasta rotini you suggested from Vons! I also added garlic. I’m glad to add this quick, yet high yield recipe to my repertoire.

Luci

This Chicken Caprese Pasta looks delicious! I’ve been loving pasta dishes lately so this is perfect for me! I’ll definitely be making this dish this weekend, I know my family will love it!

Angela

Love everything about this dish! So simple to make and full of flavor. Caprese pasta is the best! YUM!

Janelle

I needed inspo to cook for dinner tonight, this is perfect

Lisalia

Yum! This came together quickly and was so delicious. My family will have this on repeat this autumn season!

Sharon

I love Caprese appetizers but this upgrade turns it into a whole meal, delicious!