This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Parmesan Zucchini Tomato Chicken Spaghetti - a delicious Mediterranean pasta toss with basil pesto and lots of grated Parmesan cheese!
This easy-to-make Parmesan zucchini chicken pasta is a great recipe for both Summer and Autumn seasons. Zucchini and chicken when combined can be bland, but in this recipe their flavors are deliciously accentuated by tomatoes, basil pesto and grated Parmesan cheese.
As you can see on the photos, there are lots of veggies in this Mediterranean recipe (which makes it healthy!), and the chicken adds the protein and makes this spaghetti a more filling dish for those of us who can't survive just on meatless recipes.
Start by cooking sliced zucchini (just use 1 zucchini) in a large skillet with olive oil and a pinch of salt:
After removing the zucchini, cook sliced chicken breast in the same skillet, and mix it with ¼ cup of basil pesto:
Cook spaghetti according the package instructions, and combine all ingredients together in the skillet: cooked spaghetti, cooked chicken, cooked zucchini, and cherry tomatoes. I used 2 colors of cherry tomatoes, yellow and red, and I sliced each tomato in half.
Add another ¼ cup of basil pesto and mix everything together! Reheat gently. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
Parmesan Zucchini Tomato Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 zucchini sliced
- salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast , uncooked, sliced
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- 8 oz spaghetti , uncooked (use gluten free spaghetti, for gluten free version)
- 1 cup red cherry tomatoes , each sliced in half
- 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes , each sliced in half
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese , grated
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Add sliced zucchini, sprinkle with salt, and cook, on medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes, flipping once, until the zucchini is soft and slightly browned. Remove zucchini from the skillet.
- To the same skillet, add one teaspoon of olive oil and sliced chicken breast. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, flipping chicken slices a couple of times, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Remove from heat, and stir in ¼ cup of basil pesto with the chicken slices.
- In a large pot, bring water to boil, add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain pasta.
- Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the cooked chicken. Add red and yellow cherry tomatoes (each one sliced in half). Add back cooked zucchini. Add another ¼ cup of basil pesto, stir everything together, and reheat gently on low-medium heat. Taste and add extra basil pesto (if desired) and extra salt, if needed. Remove from heat. Sprinkle ⅓ cup of grated Parmesan cheese over the pasta in the skillet.
- When serving, sprinkle each individual serving plate with extra Parmesan, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Made this for dinner tonight. My husband and I thought it was delicious
Where is the recipe for the Basil pesto, please ?
This was delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe! How would you recommend warming this dish up for tomorrow? I don't want it to dry out when warmed and am out of pesto sauce now. Can't wait to eat it again!
Do you have a recipe for basil pesto?
Thanks
I used spaghetti squash instead of pasta noodles and it was delicious!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe! Using spaghetti squash instead of pasta is a great idea!
Hi Julia, this sounds delicious, but I noticed in the directions you never mention the zucchini again. I presume it's included with No. 4. Is that correct?
I also wondered about the zucchini!☺️
I'm making the spaghetti squash right now to try this.
I have an allergy to nuts so used fine chopped fresh basil,chopped garlic and 1/2TLB more of olive oil when chicken was halfway cooked,this was very tasty,will make many more times.
Can't wait to make it.
Enjoy!
This recipe looks delicious. I’m not sure I know basil pesto is. Is it a type of spaghetti sauce? Thanks
Basil pesto is a sauce that is usually made by crushing basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese together and combining it with olive oil. It is often used as a pasta sauce. You can usually buy pre-made basil pesto in a grocery store. Here is an excellent recipe for homemade basil pesto.
Easy to make & delicious!! Will make again for sure , hubby loved it!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your comment!
So delicious! I made mine with shrimp and added mushrooms.
Glad you liked it! What a great idea to use shrimp and add mushrooms!
I made this recipe exactly as written this evening. So delicious and satisfying!! When I make it again, I think I'll try some fresh mushrooms, too. Thank you so much for posting this. We really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to trying other recipes on your site.
Mary, you are very welcome! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This was so good! I used cherry tomatoes from my garden... only wish I had more ripe ones tonight! Excellent recipe!
So glad to hear that! So jealous you have your own cherry tomatoes from your garden - it's my dream to have my own garden.
Tried this one tonight. Instant winner with the family and “when can you make it again!” Keep those recipes coming!
Thank you! So glad your family liked it! 🙂
Great Recipe.This site has got a lot of really useful stuff on it. Thanks for informing me. Perfect blog post and nice discussion among the comments.
Your pictures look great, Julia!
Zucchini and chicken are my favorite. Try it soon.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thank you!