If you love Mediterranean flavors, this chicken pasta recipe will become a favorite. This recipe uses fresh ingredients and is a light, delicious pasta dish, suitable for weeknight dinner or for guests.
Adopted from our stepdad (Captain Ric), we have been making this dish for about 20 years. It brings fond memories of family sailing trips in the Caribbean, as this recipe was always on the menu. Light yet savory, perfect in any season and on any vacation!
Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Ingredients
For this recipe, you will need 2 large chicken breasts. In addition, you will need 4 Roma tomatoes, fresh Italian parsley, garlic, marinated artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, capers, chicken broth, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Time saving tip: buy pitted Kalamata olives!
True confession, Beth does not like olives at all. If you are like Beth, you can still love this recipe! This pasta dish is still full of flavor without the olives. One other idea would be to substitute mushrooms for olives.
For pasta, we like this dish with linguini, spaghetti, or angel hair style pasta. Freshly grated Parmesan makes for a nice finish.
How to Make this Pasta Dish
Optional Tomato Prep
If I have the time, I like to peel the tomatoes. To do this, you can score the skin (use a sharp knife to make an X in the bottom of the tomato, just cutting through skin and not the flesh). Then bring a pot of water to a boil, and then blanch the tomatoes for 30-40 seconds. Remove them from the boiling water to a bowl, using a slotted spoon. Once they are cool, you can peel the skin off, and dice them to set aside for the recipe.
One time saving tip is to do this phase in advance, earlier in the day, and set them aside or in the fridge for later. Or if I have not planned enough ahead of time, I skip this phase and dice the tomatoes with the skins on.
Preparing the Ingredients
I like to chop the olives, artichokes, and Italian parsley to set aside. If you purchased olives with pits, be sure to take into account the extra time to pit them yourself before chopping. This will add on to your total prep time, which is why I try to but the pitted ones. Also mince the garlic and set aside. Having these ingredients prepped ahead allows you to easily add them along the cooking process. Now you can rinse and chop the chicken breast into bite sized chunks.
The Cooking Process
First, heat a large skillet with 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped chicken to the warm pan, salting and peppering it to your preference. Cook the chicken until opaque. Remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon, and put it aside in a prep bowl. I like to keep it slightly warm by covering it with foil and placing it in a warm place (like a microwave). Pour out the juices from the pan.
In the warm sauté pan, add 1 T olive oil and cook garlic, chopped artichokes, and chopped olives for 2 minutes. Then add diced tomatoes, capers, chopped parsley, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Then, stir to combine the flavors. Add the cooked chicken cubes back to the pan and 1/4 cup chicken broth as well. Stir to combine all of the ingredients, and allow to simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
Boil water for pasta while the chicken mixture is simmering. Then cook pasta to package directions. Drain the pasta and add it back to the warm pot with a splash of olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other.
Dish out desired amount of pasta, Mediterranean chicken mixture on top, and then add freshly grated Parmesan to taste.
Tips and Suggestions for this Mediterranean Chicken Pasta
- You can skip the step of peeling tomatoes, if you are running short on time. They will soften in the simmering pan.
- If you are a non olive lover, leave them out or substitute with mushrooms for a different texture.
- If you choose to make this dish for a night when you are having guests, here are a few appetizers that would work well with this dish. Try this Mediterranean Feta Dip or these Bacon & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms.
- If you like this pasta dish (which we adopted from our step dad) , then also try Captain Ric’s Marinated Party Shrimp. This is one of his go to appetizers which is always a crowd pleaser.
- Although this dish can certainly stand alone, we do enjoy serving it with a favorite garlic bread and an easy prep salad, such as this Simple Italian Salad.
KID TIP: Try separating pasta and toppings. My kids enjoy this dish best that way.
Mediterranean Chicken Pasta
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 5-6 1x
Description
Light delicious pasta with Mediterranean flavors we love.
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 T olive oil, divided
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 2 T capers, drained
- 2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
- dash of crushed red pepper
- 1/4 c chicken broth
- One (16 oz)package linguini, spaghetti, or angel hair pasta
- Parmesan for topping
Instructions
Optional Tomato Prep
If I have the time, I like to peel the tomatoes. To do this, you can score the skin (use a sharp knife to make an X in the bottom of the tomato, just cutting through skin and not the flesh). Then bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch the tomatoes for 30-40 seconds. Remove them from the boiling water to a bowl, using a slotted spoon. Once they are cool, you can peel the skin off, and dice them to set aside for the recipe.
- I like to chop the olives, artichokes, and Italian parsley to set aside. Also mince the garlic and set aside. Having these ingredients prepped ahead allows you to easily add them along the cooking process.
- Now you can rinse and chop the chicken breast into bite sized chunks.
- Heat a large skillet with 1 T olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the chopped chicken to the warm pan, salting and peppering it to your preference. Cook the chicken until opaque. Remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon, and put it aside in a prep bowl. I like to keep it slightly warm by covering it with foil and placing it in a warm place (like a microwave). Pour out the juices from the pan.
- In the warm sauté pan, add 1 T olive oil and cook garlic, chopped artichokes, and chopped olives for 2 minutes.
- Then add diced tomatoes, capers, chopped parsley, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Then, stir to combine the flavors.
- Add the cooked chicken cubes back to the pan and 1/4 cup chicken broth as well. Stir to combine all of the ingredients, and allow to simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
- Boil water for pasta while the chicken mixture is simmering. Cook pasta to package directions.
- Dish out desired amount of pasta, Mediterranean chicken mixture on top, and then add freshly grated Parmesan to taste.
Notes
- You can skip the step of peeling tomatoes, if you are running short on time. They will soften in the simmering pan.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
Delicious way to kick off summer! Light and perfect flavors for a mediterranean feel.Thanks girls!
So glad you enjoyed! XO