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Charred Tomato Basil Chicken Florentine Pasta with herb butter breadcrumbs. A summery and creamy pasta that’s great for nights when you’re craving cozy Italian and fresh summer flavor. This dish is made with garden cherry tomatoes that are pan-roasted with butter and garlic, then stirred into a creamy parmesan spinach Florentine sauce. Together they make for the most comforting delicious summer pasta. Finish the dish off with crispy-salty prosciutto and herb butter breadcrumbs.
One of the dishes I get the most excited to make every summer is a fresh cherry tomato pasta. Over the years I’ve created one tomato recipe after another. But this recipe is a tried and true favorite that I’ve been making since 2016!
It’s not a one-pot pasta or the easiest pasta you’ll ever make, but it’s simple enough. And it highlights some of summer’s most delicious flavors – sweet cherry tomatoes and fresh summery herbs, especially basil.
When I got home from Cleveland on Sunday night, I was so excited to see that we had cherry tomatoes on the counter and plenty of herbs in the garden. In an effort not to go to the store, I knew I was making this for dinner.
I had everything on hand, even down to the stale bread and prosciutto in the fridge. It was a clear sign it was finally time to make one of my favorite summertime pasta dishes!
Here are details
Step 1: make the breadcrumbs
Of course, you don’t have to make the breadcrumbs. These are an extra step and they do require the oven. That said, you should not underestimate their deliciousness.
The breadcrumbs are made with sourdough bread and cooked with butter and prosciutto. While the bread toasts on the pan the butter browns and the prosciutto gets crispy. Once everything is very golden and crisp, add it to the food processor. Then add a handful of salted pistachios and fresh herbs. I love to use oregano and thyme.
Then pulse the toasted bread into a finer crumb with the prosciutto and pistachios. It’s going to smell delicious but taste even better. Now just add a little sea salt and the crumbs are finished.
Step 2: boil the pasta
Cook the pasta until it’s al dente. Meaning it has a little bit of a bite left to it.
Drain the pasta, but save some of the pasta cooking water in case you need to thin the sauce.
Step 3: cook the chicken and tomatoes
While the pasta boils, cook the chicken. In the same pan, along with some butter, cook the tomatoes until they begin to blister. Then pull the tomatoes out and set aside them with the chicken.
Step 4: make the sauce
Now make the sauce. Add more butter and some garlic to that same skillet we cooked up the chicken and tomatoes in. Let the butter brown around the garlic.
Mix in a splash of dry white wine, then pour in the milk. Add lots of parmesan cheese and a couple of handfuls of chopped baby spinach.
Step 5: toss the pasta
Toss the pasta with the sauce. Add the chicken and mix in the freshly grated mozzarella and the tomatoes. Finish the pasta with fresh basil and season it up with chili flakes.
Step 6: plate the pasta
Immediately serve the pasta topped with breadcrumbs and a few basil leaves.
Not only is this pasta pretty, but it’s so delicious. Creamy with just the right amount of fresh herbs and garlic in the sauce. The tomatoes add a bright burst of sweet summer flavor. And those breadcrumbs – they’re like the chef’s kiss. They may not be totally needed, but they’re so yummy!
I should mention that this is a great meal to serve to guests, it always impresses. Just add a summer salad and some crusty bread on the side for a delicious meal.
The perfect summer dinner!
Looking for more summer recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Creamy Roasted Tomato Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Skillet Burst Cherry Tomato Summer Pasta with Lemony Breadcrumbs
One Pot Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pasta
Pesto Chicken Saltimbocca with Burst Tomatoes and Burrata
Detroit Style Tomato Herb Pepperoni Pizza
Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka
Lastly, if you make this Charred Tomato Basil Chicken Florentine Pasta be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Charred Tomato Basil Chicken Florentine Pasta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 472 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Herb Butter Breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 slices sourdough bread, torn
- 2 ounces prosciutto
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs, oregano, rosemary, thyme
Pasta
- 1 pound linguine or other long cut pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound chicken breasts, diced (about 1 breast )
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
- chili flakes
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, torn
Instructions
- 1. To make the breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Arrange the butter, bread, and prosciutto on a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until the bread is toasted and the prosciutto is cripsy. Add everything to a food processor. Add the pistachios and herbs. Season with salt. Pulse into fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can crumble the mix with your hands. 3. To make the pasta. 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.4. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, chicken, salt, and pepper in a large skillet. Set over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.5. To the same skillet, add 3 tablespoons of butter and the tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir and cook another 2 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the tomatoes from the skillet.6. Add 3 tablespoons butter and the garlic, cook for 1 minute, until the butter is browning. Add the wine, simmer 1 minute, then add the milk, parmesan, and spinach, stirring until melted and creamy. Add the pasta and chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. 7. Mix in the mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Remove from the heat. Divide the pasta among plates and top each plate with breadcrumbs and fresh basil.
Wow! This pasta dish looks gorgeous and I am sure tastes superb too. I haven’t been to both parks yet, but they sure are part of my bucket list. You don’t strike me as a Pothead. Are you?
Hey Loi! Thank you so much! I love Harry Potter! Hope you love this dish!
Comfort carbs have never looked better, this meal is such a beauty! How fun, you and Asher will have the best time together. Can’t wait to hear more about it! 🙂
☺️ Thanks so much Laura!! I’m pretty excited for it!! Also to write about it!!
Before I even finished reading this post I just had to chime in about the awesome theme park!!! Orlando for sure!!! You can ride the Hogworts Express between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade!! what!!! I had dual park tickets which are a must!!! And really you will spend most of your day if not all of one day between Diagon Alley!! Which is to die for!!! And Hogsmeade!!! There is sooo much to see and do there. It’s beyond Tieghan! Also the rest of the park is pretty cool too! I’ve not been to California, and I’m sure it’s awesome…but also in Orlando not too far down the street is a few pretty great water parks. Disneys Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, both of which are honestly great!
YAY! Thats what i’m thinking!
Ah! Asher is so excited for Diagon Alley!! (So am I!)
This all sounds amazing!! I’m getting so excited!!
Thanks for the insight Cassandra!!
it must be tomato Monday’s, because I posted a heirloom tomato pasta recipe this morning too – great minds! 😉 looks delicious as always xo
Haha! YES!! What A great way to do Mondays!!
Thanks Christine!! I’m going to take A look at yours now!!
This is my kind of comfort food. Looks amazing! I’m obsessed with burst cherry tomatoes lately. Definitely going to try it! I vote LA. I just moved here a month ago and it’s awesome!
Ah, same!! They’re delicious! I’m so jealous of your move!! Hope you love it!!
If you’re mainly going for the park I definitely say Orlando! It’s a bigger park so I think Asher would have more fun exploring. It’s amazing and riding the Hogwarts Express between King’s Crossing and Hogsmeade is one of the best parts!
I think so too!! Leaning more towards Orlando!! It all sounds amazing!!
This is certainly my kind of recipe but I’ve been so hot today I’m eating popcorn and yogurt for dinner.
Haha!! That actually sounds kinda nice!
i vote for la! that park isn’t as big, but the weather is so much nicer and there is so much more to explore outside of the park (la food > orlando food, pretty beaches, etc).
Thats true!! We won’t have too much time for other exploring so i’m leaning towards Orlando, just so we can see it all! But A LA trip is needed as well!!
I am all about the pasta lately too which is funny cause I normally try and stay away from the pasta when I can. This summer has me craving it like no other though. I haven’t been to either Harry Potter world, so I don’t know which would be better, but I feel like Orlando would be the way to go to get the best experience. Buuuuut depending on how long your trip will be anyway, LA might still be good because if you can’t stay that long anyway, you might end up not even being able to see everything at the Orlando spot, ya know? (I hope you know what I mean – I haven’t had any coffee yet!)
I just get hooked on it sometimes! I think Orlando is the way to go as well! Haha!! Hope you got your coffee!!! So important!! Thanks for the input Amanda(:
Do you think this would work well with spiralized zucchini noodles instead of pasta? Not that I don’t love a good carb loaded Monday!!
Hey Tamara, yes I think this will be great with zucchini noodles. Just be sure to serve it right away because the zucchini noodles will draw a lot of water. I would add them when I say to add the cooked pasta and then just warm them through so the zucchini gets a little cooked and is warm then serve right away. Let me know if you’ve any questions hope you love this, thanks!!
I absolutely love that pot you used! the pasta looks beautiful in it!!!
https://www.searedandshameless.com
AH!! Thank you!! I love it as well!!
This is BEAUTIFUL! My mouth is watering and it’s 7am haha. So perfectly summery ??
Thank you Chelsea!! Hope you love it(:
I’m definitely down with some serious comfort food like this! Oh, and I say Orlando would be awesome, but that’s because I grew up going to WDW so I’m partial to FL and you may have a better time in LA’s weather. You must share some pics when you go!!!
I think it’s going to be Orlando! I will totally share photos!
Thanks Tori!
Those tomatoes look soooooo delicious!!
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Thanks Miranda!!
Yes, this dish is absolutely the best kind of summer comfort food Tieghan! I can never get enough tomatoes during the summer. The herb butter breadcrumbs sound delicious too! Enjoy your week!
Ah, thank you! I totally agree about the tomatoes! Have a good week too Mary Ann!!