Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Chicken, and Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Chicken, and Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce uses simple everyday ingredients yet it tastes like a restaurant-quality dinner.  This summer dish is vibrant, colorful, and packed with fresh flavors! There is no cream and no cheese which makes this spaghetti recipe a perfect choice as light comfort food you can make any day of the week.

Pasta and Roasted Tomatoes - a great combination!

• The star ingredients of this recipe are spaghetti pasta and roasted cherry tomatoes. Pan-seared chicken is added to make it a complete meal.   It's a great flavorful recipe to ensure that you eat veggies at dinnertime.
• This recipe uses no cream, no cheese.  Perfect to make in the Summer or any time of year when you crave light and fresh weeknight dinner.
• It's easy enough to make on a busy weeknight. It also makes a beautiful presentation as the main course for a special occasion when you've got company.  I wouldn't be surprised if this delicious spaghetti with chicken and roasted cherry tomatoes becomes one of your favorite pasta recipes!
• And, by the way, if you're looking for more dinner inspiration using similar ingredients, don't miss this chicken pesto pasta and the delicious chicken pasta with bacon, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes.

Light and fresh summer chicken pasta

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Chicken, and Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce is a comfort food dinner that a whole family will love!  Cherry tomatoes are roasted in olive oil and garlic, the chicken is seasoned with paprika.  The pasta is tossed in a lemon butter garlic sauce and topped with a lot of chopped fresh basil.  Toasted pine nuts are sprinkled on top.  This colorful and vibrant spaghetti dish looks sophisticated enough for a weekend dinner and is simple enough to make on a regular weeknight.

How to make pasta with roasted tomatoes

1. First, you will roast cherry (or grape) tomatoes (tossed with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper) on a baking sheet in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes. Do not overcrowd the baking sheet otherwise, tomatoes will steam instead of roasting.
2. While you roast the tomatoes, cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain.
3. Next, you will cook the chicken breasts (seasoned with smoked paprika and Italian seasoning) on medium heat in a large skillet until the chicken is cooked through. Remove it to the plate and slice thinly.
4. Then, you will make a simple lemon garlic butter sauce by cooking together freshly squeezed lemon juice (preferably using Meyer lemon), butter, and garlic.
5. Finally, add cooked and drained spaghetti to the large skillet with the lemon butter garlic sauce. Mix everything well. Top with roasted cherry tomatoes, cooked sliced chicken, toasted pine nuts, and chopped fresh basil.

Cooking tips and recommendations

• Pasta. This recipe uses spaghetti, you can also use fettuccine, angel hair pasta, or pappardelle.
• Use colorful cherry or grape tomatoes. In this recipe, I used red and yellow cherry tomatoes to add color to this pasta dish. Choose firm, not overly ripe tomatoes that have a dense texture. These will work the best when roasted.
• Do not overcrowd the tomatoes when roasting them on a baking sheet. If the tomatoes are overcrowded - they will steam instead of roasting.
• Seasoning for the chicken. Use smoked paprika along with Italian seasoning or Herbs from Provence. I used a blend that contained dried herbs such as thyme, parsley, rosemary, marjoram, and basil.
• Toast the pine nuts in the preheated oven at 350 F for only 5 or 10 minutes. Watch the oven carefully - the nuts can burn quickly. Toast the nuts until they acquire a beautiful golden color.

Variations

I love that it is an easily adjustable recipe that can use a variety of ingredients and add-ins without compromising flavor!

• Great to use up leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.  Instead of cooking the chicken from scratch, you can just add some leftover chicken from the previous night and make this recipe even easier than it already is!
• Add veggies. Tomatoes roasted in olive oil and garlic add a ton of flavor to this pasta. But don't limit yourself just to tomatoes. You can add bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, or mushrooms.
• Add cheese. Add a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese!
• Add spice. Add red pepper flakes when you toss pasta with the butter sauce to add some heat.

What to serve with it

• A slice of warm garlic bread or olive bread. If you're feeling especially ambitious, try making your own perfect loaf of bread in a bread machine.
• A side salad, such as this summery avocado corn tomato salad with creamy cilantro-lime dressing or a simple spinach salad.

Storage and reheating tips

Because the pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes is made without any cream or cheese, this easy weeknight meal is easy to store and reheat. Here are my recommendations:

• Fridge. Store chicken pasta with tomatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat in the microwave oven. Reheat the refrigerated pasta in a microwave oven for about 1 minute. Taste and reheat for 30 seconds more, if needed.
• Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat it in a large, high-sided skillet on the stovetop on low-medium heat.

Other pasta and fresh tomato recipes you will love

• Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce
• Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
• Chicken Spaghetti with Burrata and Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce
• Tomato Spinach Chicken Spaghetti
• Parmesan Zucchini Tomato Chicken Spaghetti with Basil Pesto

4.83 from 56 votes

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Chicken, and Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Chicken, and Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce uses simple everyday ingredients yet it tastes like a restaurant-quality dinner.  This summer dish is vibrant, colorful, and packed with fresh flavors! There is no cream and no cheese which makes this spaghetti recipe a perfect choice as light comfort food you can make any day of the week.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 4 people

Calories per serving 693 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Roasted Tomatoes

• 10 oz cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes (sliced in half)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• salt and pepper

Chicken Pasta

• 8 oz spaghetti
• 1.2 lb chicken breast (2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed (preferably Meyer lemon)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons butter

Garnish

• ⅓ cup fresh basil chopped
• ⅓ cup pine nuts lightly toasted (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

Roasted tomatoes

• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, without overcrowding.
• Roast for about 20 minutes while you prepare the pasta.

Cook pasta

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain.

Chicken

• This recipe uses 1.2 lb of chicken breasts which usually means 2 chicken breasts. Season them with salt, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet until hot. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per each side until it's cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate. Slice it thinly.
• To the same skillet, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, and butter, and cook for a couple of minutes on low-medium heat to soften the garlic. Remove from heat.

Assembly

• Add cooked and drained pasta to the same skillet with lemon garlic butter sauce. Mix everything well.
• Top the pasta with cooked sliced chicken and roasted tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Top with chopped fresh basil and toasted pine nuts.

Notes

• Toast the pine nuts in the preheated oven at 350 F for only 5 minutes.  Watch the oven carefully - the nuts can burn quickly.  
• Use only freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Squeeze half a lemon or a whole lemon (depending on your taste and the size of the lemon).  The Meyer lemon works the best!  If using bottled lemon juice, you will probably have to use less than indicated in the recipe as bottled lemon juice is usually more acidic.

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Chicken, and Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

Amount per Serving

Calories

693

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

38

g

58

%

Saturated Fat

 

11

g

69

%

Trans Fat

 

0.5

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

7

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

16

g

Cholesterol

 

117

mg

39

%

Sodium

 

407

mg

18

%

Potassium

 

923

mg

26

%

Carbohydrates

 

50

g

17

%

Fiber

 

3

g

13

%

Sugar

 

4

g

4

%

Protein

 

39

g

78

%

Vitamin A

 

1348

IU

27

%

Vitamin C

 

24

mg

29

%

Calcium

 

56

mg

6

%

Iron

 

3

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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.

Keyword pasta with cherry tomatoes, pasta with roasted tomatoes, spaghetti with cherry tomatoes

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