This fresh and vibrant Bruschetta Chicken Pasta with Goat Cheese is for all the bruschetta lovers out there! It’s quick and easy, making it ideal for busy weeknights, with a juuuuust creamy enough sauce to not weigh you down on hot summer days. Trust us, you’ll want to make a fresh batch of Tomato Bruschetta to really bring this pasta recipe together.
If you want, add pan seared or grilled chicken (really just depends on whether you want to continue cooking inside or outside), or leave it out entirely — this makes a fantastic vegetarian entrée!
We recommend serving this bruschetta pasta chicken with an easy, not-at-all-fussy side salad (this arugula salad is our go-to, but my spinach salad with strawberries would pair so well with these flavors!) and a crusty baguette. You can’t beat the simplicity — or the taste!
If you love this recipe, be sure to try my chicken pesto pasta next or browse all of my favorite pasta recipes!
Ingredients Needed
First, you’ll want to make a batch of our homemade Italian Bruschetta — it’s so light and fresh! The tomato mixture is made with fresh Roma tomatoes, high quality extra virgin olive oil, a couple cloves garlic, flaky sea salt, and fresh basil.
Other ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil: A neutral oil is fine for sautéing the chicken, but we recommend finishing all pastas with a drizzle of high quality evoo.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or boneless skinless chicken breasts). You can also omit to make this pasta recipe vegetarian.
- Dried oregano, Kosher salt, and black pepper: To season the chicken.
- Spaghetti, buccatini, or other long, thin pasta.
- Goat cheese and mascarpone cheese: Which add a creamy texture to the bruschetta pasta!
- Aged balsamic vinegar: The thicker, the better! Not only is this a sweet contrast to the tangy goat cheese, but it balances out the other flavors in the dish. Balsamic glaze is another great option.
- Fresh basil, and lots of it!
Directions
- First, make our easy Bruschetta recipe.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season generously with Kosher salt, then cook pasta until al dente. Before draining, reserve at least 1 cup of cooking water to help make the sauce.
- Dredge chicken to season with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano.
- Sauté the chicken (or grill it, if you have time!), then add drained pasta, goat cheese and mascarpone, most of the tomato bruschetta mixture, a little reserved pasta water, and lots of fresh basil.
- Adjust seasoning. Give it a really good toss, then taste, adjust seasoning, and add additional water as needed to create more of a sauce.
- Finish, then serve. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, a bit more bruschetta, and fresh basil. Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze on top. As always with pasta, I recommend a drizzle of a high quality extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Buon appetito!
To the same pan, add cooked spaghetti, goat cheese, mascarpone cheese, reserved pasta cooking water, and fresh Italian Bruschetta.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh basil! There’s a time and a place for dried herbs, but this bruschetta pasta recipe isn’t one of them. You really need the vibrancy from fresh basil for this to taste light and fresh!
- Want to add a little heat? A ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes would make an amazing addition.
- For crispier pan seared chicken, dredge the cubed chicken in seasoned flour before sautéing.
- Meal prepping on the weekend? We love to make grilled chicken breasts, then add them to dishes all week long. They’d be fantastic here!
- To make gluten-free, consider serving this over zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead of gf pasta. Zoodles are our summer obsession!
If you have leftover tomatoes needing to be used up, check out these fresh tomato recipes — they’re all easy and delicious!
Serving Suggestions
Chicken bruschetta pasta is a complete meal on its own, but you can also serve it with a side salad, roasted vegetables, some crusty bread, or garlic bread. A few of my favorite salads include this light Lemon Kale Caesar Salad or our House Salad with whichever fruit is in season!
For a quick and easy vegetable side dish, try quick-grilled asparagus!
Leftovers, Storage, & Reheating
- Storing leftovers: Leftover pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Note that the tomatoes will lose their shape a little after the first day, so it’s best to enjoy this recipe fresh.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat pasta is in a skillet over medium heat. Add a little bit of olive oil or butter to the skillet and cook the pasta until warmed through. You can also reheat pasta in the microwave, but be careful not to overcook it, or it will become mushy.
- We do not recommend freezing, as the fresh tomatoes really don’t hold up well once frozen.
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Bruschetta Chicken Pasta with Goat Cheese
Video
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Bruschetta or store-bought Bruschetta
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb chicken thighs or chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Kosher salt plus 2-3 Tbsp more for seasoning pasta water
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more for serving
- 1 lb spaghetti or other long thing pasta
- 2 oz goat cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
- 2 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves thinly sliced, plus more for serving
- Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated, for serving
Instructions
- Make the bruschetta. If you haven't already, make Bruschetta.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, then season generously with 2-3 Tbsp Kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about ½-1 cup of pasta cooking water.
- Cook the chicken. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add cubed chicken thighs, then season with 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked through and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F, about 7-10 minutes.
- Finish the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the skillet, then stir in 2 oz goat cheese, ¼ cup mascarpone cheese and ¼-½ cup of reserved pasta water. Toss well. Add all except for ½ cup of the tomato bruschetta and ⅓ cup julienned basil leaves, then give the pasta a final stir. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding additional pasta water to make a thinner sauce, if desired.
- Garnish, then serve. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl, then top with remaining ½ cup of bruschetta. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar, then garnish with additional fresh basil and grated Parmesan. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Storing leftovers: Keep in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the tomatoes will lose their shape a little after the first day, so it’s best to enjoy this recipe fresh.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat pasta is in a skillet over medium heat. Add a little bit of olive oil or butter to the skillet and cook the pasta until warmed through. You can also reheat pasta in the microwave, but be careful not to overcook it, or it will become mushy.
- We do not recommend freezing, as the fresh tomatoes really don’t hold up well once frozen.
So perfect!
Definitely a great pasta, so glad you enjoyed! xo, Ari