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Oh um, hey! How about some comfort carbs for your Monday?!?
Yes, please!
How was everyone’s weekend?!? Hope you guys are enjoying summer as much as I am. I will not lie, the last few weeks have been crazy, but I’m really enjoying these warmer long days… and sad to see summer flying by. Asher was over hanging out all day on Saturday, and man, that girl knows how to talk. We actually talked about our upcoming trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We finally have the dates set!
YESS. I have been pushing this trip off all summer, but we are going to go right before school starts. We are both so excited. We have not booked tickets just yet, but only because we cannot decide on whether we should head to the new Wizarding World in LA or go to the one in Orlando.
SOOO, you guys have to help me!! Has anyone ever been to either? Or even better, have you been to both? If so, you have to tell me all the ins and outs because we are 2 way too excited girls, and planning mode has begun!
First things, first though, LA or Orlando? I kind of want to say LA just cause my brother is there and we would get to see him as well, but then I know the Orlando Park has a bit more to offer, and well, I do LOVE Florida, and I haven’t been there in far too long. Or well, actually I was there a year ago last Easter, but that’s still way too long!
Anyway, what do you think? Let me know!!!
Alright now, can we please talk PASTA!
Um, OK. I am kind of excited about this tomato basil chicken florentine pasta. It’s my kind of summertime comfort food… and yes, there is cheese!!
Where to start? Well, maybe the tomatoes? Pan roasted to perfection with lots of garlic….then tossed in wine!! Ahh huh! Then there’s the pasta, bucatini is one of my favorites, but you can really use any cut you love. I just think bucatini is pretty and I like its thickness! 🙂
Okok, but while I love all the pasta, the tomatoes, and the basil, what makes this pasta really special are those breadcrumbs!! Oh my gosh…more carbs, and I love it. They’re buttery and delicious and full of saltiness, fresh herbs and pistachios. Honestly, put these breadcrumbs on top of any savory food and I will be a very happy girl!
You see? Best pasta ever, right?
Perfect for a quick and easy Monday night dinner? FOR SURE!
Oh, and there is chicken in this dish, but it can easily be omitted to make this a meatless Monday meal, so whatever you prefer!! Just one important thing to note, use really good cherry tomatoes, tons of fresh basil, and don’t skimp on the cheese. I mean, duh.
Wait, I also feel like I should mention that this is kind of a great meal to serve to guests as well. I mean, not only is it beautiful, but come on, it’s creamy, delish, and basically a bowl of heaven. Oh, and one of the best ways to impress guests without breaking too much of a sweat. Or well, you might sweat if your kitchen is as hot as mine. The logs that this barn is made with just seem to hold in the heat. Can’t say I hate it though, I’ll take all the warmth I can get while I can get it!
For real though, pasta + cheese + basil + tomatoes + wine + bread crumbs?!?! SO GOOD.
Alight, so pasta tonight to kick off what is sure to be yet another fun-filled, busy summer week!
What do you guys have planned??
Charred Tomato Basil Chicken Florentine Pasta with Herb Butter Breadcrumbs.
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 815 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound bucatini pasta or other long cut pasta
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound chicken breasts, diced (about 2 breast )
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic grated or minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1- 1 1/2 cups full-fat milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 6 ounces fresh spinach roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil torn or chopped + more for serving
- kosher salt + pepper
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- zest of 1 lemon
- 8 ounces buffalo mozzarella or mozzarella torn
Herb Butter Breadcrumbs
- 3-4 slices prosciutto
- 4 slices thick cut bread torn
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup pistachios finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped herbs (parsley oregano, basil, dill)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add the chicken and season with salt + pepper. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining olive oil and butter. Add the cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook the tomatoes without stirring for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes toss the tomatoes and cook another minute more or until the tomatoes are blistered. Add 2 cloves garlic and cook another 30 seconds being careful not to burn the garlic. Remove the tomatoes from the skillet to a plate.
- Set the skillet back over medium heat and add the remaining 2 cloves garlic, cook 30 seconds, then deglaze the pan with wine. Allow the wine to cook until it has reduced by half. Stir in the milk and parmesan, season with salt and pepper.
- Once the pasta is cooked, added it to the sauce along with the spinach. Cooking until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir back in the chicken and tomatoes. Cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. If needed, thin the sauce with the reserved pasta cooking water. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, lemon zest and mozzarella.
- Divide the pasta among bowls or plates and top each plate with bread crumbs, crushed red pepper and fresh basil. EAT!
Herb Butter Breadcrumbs
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the prosciutto slices on the baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crisp. Remove and allow to cool. Once cool, finely chop the prosciutto. To the baking sheet, add the bread, butter and pistachios, tossing well to evenly coat. Place back in the oven and toast the mixture for about 5 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden. If the bread crumbs seem as though they need more butter, add another 2 tablespoons. Remove from the oven and stir in the prosciutto crumbs. Season lightly with salt, and stir in the herbs.
All I can see in my future is pasta, pasta, pasta. No complaining here!
The recipe was tasty but came with some practical problems. I used a really large skillet, and the dish still didn’t fit all that well making it hard to stir. The parmesan and milk didn’t emulsify quite right into the wine pan sauce, so I ended up with parmesan coated spinach balls (not the end of the world because they’re pretty delicious). I also found that the timing listed was way off. It took me over an hour to make and I cook pretty frequently. If I were to make it again, I think I’d cut back on the volume of pasta, and I would cut back on the butter and olive oil.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry you had a few issues, let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
I’ve encountered an issue with this one – as soon as I add the milk it cuddles to cheese. I tried starting over and warming the milk first but as soon as I add it to the wine it curdled again. I’m at a loss as to how to create the sauce now that the pasta water has gone down the drain.
Hey Carrie, It’s so hard to say without knowing how you are making the recipe. What percent fat is your milk? Hope I can I help problem solve for you. Sorry for the trouble!
What would I do without your recipes? We loved this pasta dish tonight – and the fam gets leftovers for their lunches tomorrow.
Awh thanks so much!! So happy you liked it!
I just made this and it was so delicious! I can’t wait to have it again. Question, is the sauce supposed to be thick or get thick? Mine didn’t get that thick. I had to ask just because in the directions it says to add water if it gets too thick.
HI Alanna! the sauce is just supposed to coat the pasta, so not watery, but not thick like a paste. If you wanted a little looser sauce than I’d add water, but it sounds like your sauce was perfect! Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
Just made this last week! I am in love! It is so good!
YAY, so happy you like it Liz! Thanks!
I made this last night and it was amazing!!!All of the flavors went together in such a wonderfully unexpected way for me. Also, my husband ate most of the croutons before the even made it to the plate 🙂 Thanks for an excellent addition to our dinner rotation!
That is so awesome to hear! I am so happy you enjoyed it, thanks Alexandria!
I have a cherry tomato plant that is loaded and I had just told my daughter (who also loves to cook) that I needed to find a blistered tomato recipe. Low and behold Instagram (Food and Wine) soon showed me a picture of your recipe. I cannot wait to try it. Looks so delicious.
Thanks so much, Mark! I hope you and your daughter enjoy this!! (:
I say go to Orlando! That is the one that I went to, and Diagon Alley was incredible. And it was so fun taking the Hogwarts train to and from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. The rest of Universal is really fun in Orlando too, we had a lot of fun there (I want to go back already). 🙂
That is so awesome! Thanks so much Megan!! (:
Hi! I love your recipes. I’ve never had a bad experience! I’ve never commented before but just have to now: PLEASE go to the HP World in Orlando! It is truly magical! Be sure to get a park to park pass so you can see Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Siriusly.. You just won’t regret it 🙂
Haha I really would love to and thanks for that helpful tip!! I will be sure to do that if I end up going! Thanks Elisa!! (: