Here is a fun chicken dinner for you, a great change from ordinary or tired dinners! This Easy Italian Chicken and Pasta is packed with savory goodness and Italian flavorings for a meal your whole family will love.
I am always looking for new ways to serve chicken to my family, trying to create new and interesting ways to cook it. Changing seasonings and accompaniments goes a long way toward spinning meals in different taste directions.
This dish is an Italian-flavored delight, with oregano, basil, and marinara sauce. Add a little Parmesan cheese and you’ve got a meal perfect for weeknight dinners or when you are having guests over. Just double the recipe if needed.
I love that you start the chicken by sautéing it and finish it by braising it in the marinara. This keeps it moist and tender and enhances the flavor of the sauce. Our favorite jarred sauce is Rao’s.
This is a really quick and easy recipe but if you want to make it even easier and faster, stop by your produce section or salad bar and pick up pre-chopped onions and peppers. If they only come packed with carrots and celery, classic mirepoix, that is fine. Just cook the vegetables a little longer before adding the garlic and chicken to be sure the carrots are softened.
If you are making this for kids and want to add more cheese to get them to like it even more, feel free to add shredded cheese with the Parmesan. The heat of the dish will melt the cheese and make your kids excited for dinner!
I hope you give this recipe a try soon and let me know what you think. The Artist and I really enjoyed the dinner and I loved how easy and fast it was to get everything ready!
Key Ingredients for Easy Italian Chicken and Pasta:
- Gluten-free pasta, chicken, onion, bell pepper, poblano pepper
- Olive oil, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper, marinara sauce
- Grated Parmesan cheese, chopped basil or green onions
PRO Tip:
To save some money and make it easier for me, I bulk order my gluten-free pasta. My two favorite brands are DeLallo (in the blue bags) and La Rosa in the red boxes. They are the closest to regular pasta that The Artist and I have found so far. I used the La Rosa in this recipe.
How to make Easy Italian Chicken and Pasta:
- Boil the pasta in well-salted water until al dente; drain and drizzle with a little olive oil, tossing to coat evenly, the set aside
- Cut the chicken into cubes, chop the onion, bell pepper, and poblano; heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy-duty skillet with high sides, sauté the onion and peppers until softened, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Push the vegetables to the edges of the pan and add garlic to the center of the pan (add a little more oil if needed); cook 30 seconds or until fragrant stirring often, then mix all the vegetables together with the garlic and stir in the oregano and basil
- Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the chicken is lightly browned, tossing occasionally
- Add the marinara sauce, cover the pan, and simmer for 5 minutes to finish cooking the chicken and marry the flavors; add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan, tossing until the pasta is lightly sauced and all the ingredients are evenly distributed
- Remove from the heat, scoop into serving bowls, top with some grated Parmesan and extra basil or green onions, and serve
PRO Tip:
In the USA there are two primary brands of kosher salt, Diamond Crystal in a red box and Morton’s in a blue box. Most people I know use Diamond Crystal when making and creating their recipes. It is less coarse and less salty than the Morton’s brand. If you are using Morton’s, cut back the amount you add until you get used to how much you like in your dishes.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Microplane grater
- Large stockpot
- Colander
- Large skillet with high sides
- Universal lid for the skillet
- Serving bowls
Gluten-Free Tips:
Make sure your marinara sauce is gluten-free as well as your seasonings and pasta. The vegetables are naturally gluten-free.
Easy Italian Chicken and Pasta (Gluten Free)
Here is a fun chicken dinner for you, a great change from ordinary or tired dinners! This Easy Italian Chicken and Pasta is packed with savory goodness and Italian flavorings for a meal your whole family will love.
Ingredients
- About 9 oz dry gluten-free pasta, such as fusilli or penne
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless thighs
- 2 leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped, optional
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp minced basil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper (I like Penzey's California Pepper), to taste
- 1 cup marinara sauce (Rao's is our favorite)
- Up to 1/4 cup water, optional
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
- Extra chopped basil or green onions for the top, optional
Instructions
- In a large stockpot filled half way with water, salt the water well and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook until al dente or according to package directions. Timing will vary by the style of pasta you use. Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil if done ahead of the sauce, tossing to coat. Set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes and set aside. Chop the leeks or onion, bell pepper, and poblano. Heat the oil in a large heavy-duty skillet with high sides over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers to the pan and sauté for about 3 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Move the vegetables to the edges of the pan and add the garlic to the center; add a little more oil if needed. Cook 30 seconds or until fragrant, stirring constantly, then bring all the vegetables together in the center. Stir in the oregano and basil. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the chicken is lightly browned, tossing occasionally. It will not be fully cooked at this point.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, cover the pan, and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes to finish cooking the chicken and marry the flavors. Add water if the sauce gets too thick.
- When done, remove the lid and add the drained pasta to the skillet. Toss together until the pasta is lightly sauced and all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Remove from the heat. Scoop into serving bowls and top with a sprinkling of Parmesan and extra basil or green onions if desired, and serve.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
Adapted from a recipe by Gimme Delicious
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