This Chicken Caprese Pasta is made with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese, then piled on top of a bed of spaghetti for a super simple weeknight meal.
I love this recipes because it’s simple to make and it uses ingredients I always have in the kitchen, so whenever I’m not sure what to make, this is my go-to recipe.
There are dozens of recipes for Caprese Chicken on the internet. You probably already know that if this isn’t the first recipe you came upon. They all have similar ingredients, but they’re all very different? Some use fresh tomatoes, some use tomato sauce, some use balsamic vinegar, some omit the basil.
I’ve tried many different versions and pulled all the things I liked about those to create this recipe – my version of Chicken Caprese pasta. I use baked chicken, both fresh and canned tomatoes, basil and shredded mozzarella over spaghetti noodles.
What is Chicken Caprese?
Chicken Caprese is made with baked or grilled chicken, fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella, a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
You can use either chicken breast or thigh for this recipe. I’ve tried both. Chicken breast is obviously the healthier option. Lots of people think breast is too dry and boring. If you’re one of those folks, you’ll want to use thighs for this recipe. I think if you cook the chicken properly, it can be amazing no matter which you use.
How to Bake Chicken Caprese
I like to make two full chicken breasts, cut open, but you can make a smaller portion by cutting just one large chicken breast in half. Start by cutting the chicken breast in half lengthwise. If you have a small piece of chicken that’s too thin to cut in half, you can use the whole breast instead. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Fry on the stove top in a pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side.
When the chicken is done, put it into a baking dish. You’ll need a baking dish that can hold either two or four chicken pieces, like this 8×8 baking dish or 9×5 loaf dish.
Top with chopped tomatoes, basil leaves and mozzarella cheese.
Put the pan in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
In the meantime, cook the spaghetti and get the tomato sauce ready. It’s incredibly simple. Pile it all up on a plate and you’re done.
You can use whatever type of pasta you like the best. It’s great with bowtie pasta. If you’d rather make this a low-carb dish, you can leave the pasta out of the dish all together.
We love this Chicken Caprese recipe. It’s not too heavy, but very satisfying as a main dish. The chicken comes out so juicy and flavorful. Give it a try and see what you think. If you make this recipe, please share your results in the comments.
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Chicken Caprese Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts halved lengthwise
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning divided
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- 12 oz can Italian chopped tomatoes
- 4 oz spaghetti cooked according to package instructions
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 5 fresh basil leaves chopped
Instructions
- Season chicken with 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Add to a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until browned, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking dish.
- Top the chicken with mozzarella, basil and tomatoes. Cover with a lid or tin foil and put in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes to melt.
- While the chicken is cooking, boil the spaghetti according to the package instructions.
- Add the canned tomatoes to the same pan the chicken was cooked in over medium heat. Stir in 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- When the chicken is done, divide the spaghetti on two plates. Spoon tomato sauce over the noodles. Add one of the Caprese Chicken pieces over the top of the sauce. Serve.
Laura is a home cook who loves making new recipes and finding new favorite things to eat, whether at home or abroad. She also runs a popular travel blog and spends a lot of her time traveling for food.