This dish elevates pasta night to amazing culinary heights. And it’s easy to prepare!
Roasting the tomatoes concentrates the tomato flavor and makes them melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The grilled pesto chicken is the perfect match for the tomatoes and the garlic white wine sauce. The tomatoes take a few hours to roast, but they can be done well in advance, which makes preparation a snap!
How To Make Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Pesto Chicken
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The Ingredients You Will Need
The dish’s ingredient list isn’t exotic and can be adapted to your tastes. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:
Tomatoes – We recommend Roma tomatoes for roasting. Whole cherry tomatoes will work, too. We don’t recommend large sliced tomatoes, such as heirloom.
Oil – Olive oil or extra virgin.
Seasonings – Salt, pepper, dried thyme, red pepper flakes.
Chicken – Boneless, skinless thighs are our choice, but boneless, skinless chicken breasts will work, too.
Pesto – Homemade or store-bought. Either is perfectly fine.
Onion – Chopped.
Garlic – Finely minced.
White wine – We don’t recommend cooking wine. An inexpensive Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc are excellent choices. If you don’t want to cook with wine, simply omit it.
Chicken broth – Broth or stock will both work.
Pasta – Go with your favorite type. We love penne, but spaghetti, linguine, or fusilli are all excellent choices. Homemade pasta would work wonderfully with this sauce.
Parmesan cheese – Grated.
Butter – Unsalted.
Parsley – Fresh, chopped, for garnish (optional).
EXPERT TIP: We line our baking sheet with a silicone mat for even baking. However, parchment paper or foil will work just fine, as well. Remember, the tomatoes can be baked ahead of time, up to 12 hours in advance.
Tips for Making Perfect Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Pesto Chicken
Slow-Roast the Tomatoes – For maximum flavor, slow-roast your Roma tomatoes at a low temperature (around 170°F) for 3 to 3½ hours. Drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add herbs like thyme to enhance their sweetness and depth.
Perfectly Cook the Chicken – Grill the chicken over medium heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) to ensure it stays juicy and tender. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss in the pesto while the chicken is still hot. This will help the pesto to adhere to the chicken and add more flavor.
Use Quality White Wine – When simmering your garlic and white wine sauce, choose a dry white wine that you enjoy drinking. The wine should complement the dish, so avoid overly sweet varieties. Allow the wine to reduce slightly to concentrate the flavors before adding the cooked penne and other ingredients.
Combine Ingredients Wisely – After cooking the penne, reserve some pasta water before draining. Toss the penne with the garlic and white wine sauce, and grilled chicken, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Stir in the roasted tomatoes and be gentle to keep them from falling apart.
How To Serve
This pasta is a filling dish and can be served with just some warm, crusty bread and a nice white wine, such as Chardonnay, or a robust red wine such as Zinfandel.
For the perfect Italian feast, we love to cut a head of cold iceberg lettuce into fourths, and then top each wedge with homemade blue cheese dressing, crumbled cooked bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkle of finely chopped red onion. It’s the perfect start to the feast.
Cheesy garlic bread is a wonderful addition to the feast, too. Finish up with a ricotta cheesecake for the end of a stunning Italian-themed dinner party or a fun night at home with your loved ones.
EXPERT TIP: Be sure to save some of the pasta water for adding to the sauce. You don’t want it to be too saucy, but there should be enough to easily coat the pasta once it goes into the skillet.
Other Amazing Italian Pasta Recipes to Try
Everyone loves a good bowl of pasta. And when it’s homemade, it couldn’t be better. Here is a collection of some of our favorites:
- Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Italian Stuffed Shells
- Pasta with Turkey and Sweet Pepper Ragus
- Creamy Sausage Fettuccini
- Pasta Pomodoro
- Spaghetti Vongole (with White Clam Sauce)
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
- Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
- Homemade Bolognese with Pappardelle
- Classic Pasta Carbonara
These are all classic and amazing. But, in the meantime, isn’t this dish calling your name?
There is just much to love about this dish. First and foremost, the flavor profile is off-the-charts delicious.
And although the tomatoes take some time to roast, there’s little prep time for them. The dish itself comes together in about 30 minutes.
Leftovers are spectacular. Simply reheat in a pan over medium heat with a few more splashes of broth.
Every single bite is a celebration of Italian yumminess in your mouth!
Ready to make a pasta dish that will rival your favorite Italian joint in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Pesto Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or foil.
- 1 large (12") skillet
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs Roma tomatoes halved
- 3 tbsp Olive oil divided
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp thyme dried
- 4 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- ⅓ cup pesto sauce
- 3 cups penne pasta
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese grated, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 270°F.
- Place the halved tomatoes, cut side up, on the baking sheet (lined with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or foil). Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Bake them for 2½ hours. Carefully flip the tomatoes over and bake for another 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven. Use immediately, or set aside for up to 12 hours.1½ lbs Roma tomatoes, 3 tbsp Olive oil, Salt and pepper, 1 tbsp thyme
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Turn your grill to medium-high heat. Brush olive oil all over the chicken thighs and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Grill them until lightly charred and fully cooked with an internal temperature of 165°F. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and toss them in a medium-sized bowl with the pesto sauce. Set aside.4 chicken thighs, ⅓ cup pesto sauce
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, usually about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, saving about 1 cup of the pasta water.3 cups penne pasta
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to one minute. Add the wine and let simmer for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and simmer until reduced by about half, usually about 10 minutes (just long enough for pasta to cook).1 cup onion, 4 cloves garlic, ¼ cup white wine, 1 cup chicken broth
- Stir in 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, red pepper flakes, the butter, and the Parmesan cheese, stirring often to prevent the cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Gently stir the chicken and cooked pasta. Stir until fully mixed. Next, gently stir in the tomatoes, being careful not to break them apart. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and let simmer lightly for a few minutes.½ tsp red pepper flakes, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
- Serve at once with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish (if using).2 tbsp parsley
So sorry I misspelled your name wrong, Kris. I wish I could edit my comment!!
Don’t worry one bit!! I see it spelled that way more than with a ‘K’…LOL!!! No biggie!!! Have a wonderful Sunday!
I made this last night, and WOW! It is absolutely wonderful. I made it exactly as written, plus I made Chris and Wesley’s pesto with basil from my garden (used pecans instead of pignolis as I didn’t have them on hand). It was delicious and delightful and I will place this recipe among my favorite pasta dishes. Chris & Wesley’s recipes never disappoint. Food is love. I love their food and I love to share it with my favorite people.
Stephanie! You have melted our hearts! Thank you so so much and we are THRILLED you are enjoying our recipes! And homemade pesto with pecans is perfection! Thank you again for sharing, your kind words, and the wonderful review. That means so so much to us!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
This was great! I truly make at least 2 of Chris and Wesleyโs recipes a week and this was right up there. So much flavor! Donโt think twice about making itโฆyou wonโt regret it!
Hi Patricia! You make our day all the time! We are thrilled you enjoyed the pasta and THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing and for the amazing review! You (and your review) mean so much to us!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley