Next Post
Simple Spicy Summer Coconut Chicken Curry.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
Simply amazing ! My family loved this dish. I couldn’t find sourdough so I used a crusty Italian bread instead for the bread crumbs. So delicious !
Hi Michelle,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this dish turned out well for you and appreciate you making it:) xT
Made this last night for my husband, son and my son’s girlfriend. So delicious! Everyone loved it and had 2nd and 3rd helpings! Thank you!!!
Hi Karen,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and Happy Monday! xT
Hello, What adjustments would you recommend to make this dairy free? Thank you!
Hi Lucy,
I would use a dairy free milk that you enjoy like coconut milk and try a vegan cheese! I hope this helps, please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
Holy cow, this is amazing! We have loved many of your recipes, and this is no different. So flavorful, and so easy to cook based on the recipe. We will be making this again. Loved it!
Hi Beth,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and Happy Monday! Thanks for your kind message:) xT
So you’re just straight up recycling old recipes now? Ok.
I love all of your recipes!! I am confused about the breadcrumbs in this. Do you just put the butter on the cookie sheet and the bread and prosciutto on top, or do you mix it in a bowl, then put on the cookie sheet and bake it?
Hi Kitty,
You just put it all on the baking sheet, you can follow step 2 exactly as written:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out well for you! xx
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!! (: