TGI Fridays used to be one of my favorite restaurants, and their bruschetta chicken pasta is one of the reasons why. Every location near me has closed, so I decided to recreate this meal at home. They usually make theirs with fettuccine, but I chose angel hair. I wanted a light pasta to match the lightness of the bruschetta, since it's not a thick/heavy sauce.
The chicken gets a quick marinade with my favorite shortcut: bottled salad dressing. About 10 minutes of cook time is all it needs, then it's topped with cheese and rested while you cook the pasta and toss it with the bruschetta.
It comes together faster than you'd think for something that tastes this good!
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Ingredients needed for Bruschetta Chicken & Angel Hair Pasta
For the chicken:
- chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- Italian dressing
- Liquid Smoke
- Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Bruschetta sauce:
- Fresh tomatoes, chopped (I use Roma)
- Tomato sauce
- Olive oil, extra-virgin
- Fresh basil, chopped
- Balsamic vinegar
- Garlic, minced
- Salt
- Black pepper
For the pasta and serving:
- Angel hair pasta
- Balsamic glaze and basil, for serving
How to Make Bruschetta Chicken & Angel Hair Pasta
Start by pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness, about ½ inch. This helps them cook evenly so you're not left with a dry edge and an undercooked center. Mix the simple marinade: Italian dressing and Liquid Smoke. Then place the chicken and marinade in a zip-top bag. Remove the air, seal it up and let it marinate for 30 to 60 minutes.
A note on the chicken breasts: I try to look for smaller ones for this recipe, to keep the portions reasonable and proportional to the pasta. If you can only find the gigantic ones, cutting them in half before cooking will make cooking easier and make everyone feel they get their own portion.
While the chicken is marinating, chop the bruschetta sauce ingredients and stir together in a small bowl. Set this aside to give the flavors a little time to develop.
Please note that this sauce starts with classic bruschetta flavor but adds a little tomato sauce to the bowl. This gives the mix a little more structure, with enough body to cling to the pasta without sliding off.
Preheat a large skillet or grill to medium-high. (add a little cooking oil if using a skillet) This is also a good time to start heating your pot of water for pasta, so it's ready when you need it.
Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes each side, until it's cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 155°F. Remove from heat, top with cheese and then cover to rest for 5 minutes. The rest time will melt the cheese and re-distribute the juices in the chicken in all the best ways!
Cook the angel hair pasta according to the package directions, usually 3 to 4 minutes. Once cooked, drain, but don't rinse, and immediately toss it with half of the bruschetta mixture while its still hot.
To serve, portion the pasta onto a plate or shallow bowl and top with the chicken. Spoon on a little more bruschetta, drizzle with balsamic glaze, and add a little chopped fresh basil, as desired.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
If you can't find angel hair pasta or just prefer fettuccine, feel free to swap it in. Any thin, quick-cooking pasta will work, so regular or thin spaghetti would substitute in seamlessly.
No Liquid Smoke on hand? You can leave it out. I do love the subtle grilled flavor it adds but the dish still works fine without it.
This meal is filling enough on its own but a simple green salad or some garlic bread is always a nice addition. I also sometimes add a dusting of Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta to make this easy weeknight dinner even more special!
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to layer the pasta, then chicken, then the extra bruschetta, since the pasta tends to soak up all the juices as it sits.
Just re-heat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, then add a drizzle of balsamic glaze to serve.
📖 Recipe
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Bruschetta Chicken & Angel Hair Pasta
Ingredients
- 2-3 chicken breasts boneless skinless
- ¼ cup Italian dressing
- ¼ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Bruschetta:
- 4 Roma tomatoes chopped
- ⅓ cup tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup olive oil extra-virgin
- ¼ cup basil chopped
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Pasta:
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta half a box
- Balsamic glaze and basil - for serving
Instructions
- Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness, about ½ inch. Mix the salad dressing with liquid smoke, then place in a zip top bag with the chicken. Seal and marinate for 30 to 60 minutes.2-3 chicken breasts, ¼ cup Italian dressing, ¼ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- Prepare the bruschetta by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.4 Roma tomatoes, ⅓ cup tomato sauce, ⅓ cup olive oil, ¼ cup basil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Preheat the skillet or grill to medium-high heat. You could also start the pasta water heating now so it's ready when you need it.
- Cook the chicken, about 5 minutes each side, until cooked through (internal temperature should be at least 155°F)
- Remove the chicken from the heat, immediately top with cheese, then cover to rest for 5 minutes.½ cup mozzarella cheese
- Cook the pasta according to package directions (usually 3 to 4 minutes for angel hair).8 ounces angel hair pasta
- Drain the cooked pasta, do not rinse. Immediately toss with half of the bruschetta mixture.
- To serve: portion the pasta in shallow bowls, then top with the chicken. Add some of the remaining bruschetta and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Sprinkle more chopped basil, if desired.Balsamic glaze and basil - for serving
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
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