Balsamic Garlic Chicken and Pasta

Balsamic Garlic Chicken and Pasta packs a load of flavor with just 5 ingredients! With sweet balsamic vinegar and lots of garlic, this meal score high marks with everyone. And it is done in under 30 minutes! This makes for an excellent anytime meal – from a simple lunch to a quick and easy weekday dinner. This comfort food will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Give it a try now!

Simple Pasta Meals

The awesome thing about pasta meals, is they don’t need much to be amazing! I remember at the restaurant we would serve these pasta meals that everyone would claim was the best they ever had. However, the ingredients were basic and simple.

One of the biggest areas people miss when making a pasta in correctly salting the water. We have been conditioned to be afraid of salt because of health concerns. And I certainly won’t minimize them. However, there is a difference between properly salting and over-salting. The pasta will only absorb a small amount of the salt from the water.

Once the pasta is seasoned properly, just a few, basic ingredients are needed to take the dish from boring to awesome! Add a veggie or 2, add some meat or leave it out. Sauteing onions or shallots with cherry tomatoes in white wine and garlic is always a simple, elegant, and delicious addition.

Balsamic Garlic Chicken and Pasta

Balsamic Garlic Chicken and Pasta is a remake of a meal my father would make. He would make a soup that my mother loved that had these same components. The rest of us hated it. So, one day, he decided to make it with it being a soup. Around the same time, he had been turned on to balsamic vinegar. He made this dish and we all loved it! It soon became a regular meal, especially since my sister – aka “daddy’s little girl” – loved it.

My father made this with gemelli pasta which I can’t find in the stores anymore. Gemelli is my favorite with this meal because it holds up well. Since I can’t readily find my favorite pasta anymore, I like to use cavatappi for the same reason. It’s a sturdier noodle so it won’t get soggy from the vinegar. Also, it has ridges which aids in holding sauce better. So, with all the choices out there, I really enjoy using cavatappi in this meal.

What Ingredients Go in Balsamic Garlic Chicken and Pasta?

• 1/2 pound Pasta (1/2 box)
•  Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• Olive Oil
• Broccoli Florets
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Fresh Garlic

Ingredients Notes

Pasta – most pasta is sold in 1 pound boxes, so 1/2 pound would be 1/2 of a box. As mentioned above, if you can find gemelli, that’s really the best. Cavatappi is an excellent alternative. Some brands call it “Corkscrew” pasta.

Pasta Water – pasta water has a little bit of starch in it from the pasta. So, it helps the balsamic vinegar stick the noodles better without getting completely absorbed into the everything.

Broccoli Florets – What you’re going for is small bite size pieces so you can gather up chicken, broccoli, and pasta in one bite without any of it being too large. I cut all the florets close to the flowers. Most of the florets will be small that way. You will need to cut some of the florets in half.

Balsamic Vinegar – there is no substitute for this as it’s the star of the dish

Fresh Garlic – this recipe uses a lot of garlic and is the second star of the show. However, you will be surprised at how it doesn’t overpower the dish. If at all possible, try to use fresh. Jarred or frozen won’t taste the same.

Cooking Instructions

Cook the pasta in well salted water according to the “al dente” instructions on the box. This will keep the pasta firm to allow for absorption of the vinegar. Be sure to retain 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. The chicken should be cooked through in about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam or boil the broccoli for 3 minutes. Add the broccoli to the chicken after the chicken is cooked.

Add the garlic to the skillet and stir. Let it cook for about 1 minute.

Put the pasta in the skillet with the 1/4 cup of pasta water to deglaze the pan. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir to mix everything thoroughly and to get it all coated with the balsamic vinegar, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve with parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Pro Recommendations

Anolon Advanced skillets are my favorite skillets to use. They are not a sponsor, but I absolutely love them. To be honest, I use their 14 inch skillet pretty much everyday. It’s a workhorse! Most of the food I cook in it gets served right in the pan. It has an extra handle that makes it great for transporting to the table. If you have 4 or more in your family, I would say this is a must have! It’s been worth every penny!

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5 from 1 vote

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Balsamic Garlic Chicken and Pasta

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword balsamic, broccoli, garlic

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound Cooked Pasta (1/2 box)
• 1-1.5 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 cups Broccoli Florets, cut in bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Garlic, minced about 8-10 cloves
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in well salted water according to the "al dente" instructions on the box. This will keep the pasta firm to allow for absorption of the vinegar. Be sure to retain 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. The chicken should be cooked through in about 8 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, steam or boil the broccoli for 3 minutes. Add the broccoli to the chicken after the chicken is cooked.

4. Add the garlic to the skillet and stir. Let it cook for about 1 minute.

5. Put the pasta in the skillet with the 1/4 cup of pasta water to deglaze the pan. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir to mix everything thoroughly and to get it all coated with the balsamic vinegar, about 1-2 minutes.

6. Serve with parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.