Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic Pasta

Chicken with tomatoes and garlic pasta is a comforting, hearty, cozy meal that feels fancy but is secretly the easiest meal ever to throw together any night of the week!

With simple ingredients and simpler instructions, this pasta has some big flavor that you’ll love to enjoy on chilly evenings when all you want is something warming and savory.

Tomato and Garlic Pasta with Chicken Thighs

When there’s pasta involved, you simply can’t go wrong with a hearty tomato sauce filled with herbs and garlic and topped with a seared, juicy chicken thigh. It’s the most delicious flavor combo and the heartiest ingredients to make for a meal that you’ll crave on extra-chilly nights when all you want is to snuggle up on the couch with your fam and watch a movie. The greatest thing is that it really takes almost no effort to create such a rich meal. All you do is sear the chicken thighs, mix up the sauce, and then braise it all for an hour in the oven. Take it out, boil your pasta, and done! You’re all set for a cozy, cozy dinner.

I don’t know about you, but meals like this are a lifesaver after crazy days. There’s something about the heartiness of a home-cooked bowl of pasta, especially one that’s so simple it’s unbelievable, that can turn my mood around and just make me thankful to have a kitchen and a home and a family to feed and sit around the table with. And not to mention, that hour in the oven frees me up to hang low, catch up on our days, or get something else done. The best!

What kind of pasta do you use in chicken and tomato garlic pasta?

You can truly pick any type of pasta that you like or prefer for this dish — it’s flexible! I used cavatappi noodles that are like little corkscrews simply because they’re fun and hang onto sauce well! Penne, spaghetti, or bowtie pasta would also work well for this dish.

How do you store pasta leftovers?

I prefer storing pasta sauce and noodles separately so that the noodles don’t soak up a bunch of sauce and become soggy. Story the sauce (with the chicken) in one airtight container and the noodles in another container (with a drizzle of olive oil over top so they don’t stick together too much).

How long can you keep cooked pasta in the refrigerator?

Pasta and tomato garlic sauce with chicken will store well in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to you pan sear chicken?

Heat your olive oil and butter in an oven safe pan and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil and butter is hot, add the chicken and let it sear until browned and the skin is crispy on all sides, about 2 minutes. It won’t cook all the way through yet, so don’t worry about that. It will finish cooking in the oven.

How to make tomato garlic pasta with chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Salt and pepper chicken thighs well.
2. Heat dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter.
3. Add chicken thighs to the pan and sear. Remove chicken from pan.
4. Pour in tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, then turn off heat.
5. Add herbs and garlic and return the chicken to the pan.
6. Put lid on the pot and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
7. Remove pot from oven, and allow it to sit while you boil the pasta.
8. Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and add to a large serving bowl.
9. Pour sauce over cooked pasta, then arrange chicken pieces over the top. Sprinkle generously with fresh parmesan and serve.

Print

 

 

This post was originally published in 2011, and has been updated and rephotographed in December 2019.

More Pasta Recipes You’re Sure to Love

• Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Baked Pasta
• One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta
• Spinach and Mushroom Marinara with Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Vegetable Lasagna
• One Pot Baked Ziti
• Healthy 30 Minute Alphabet Soup

Seared chicken thighs with tomato garlic pasta is a seriously tasty and easy dinner full of hearty flavors and simple ingredients!