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This Mediterranean chicken pasta recipe brings a refreshing twist to your weeknight dinner with its bold, vibrant flavors and wholesome ingredients. Juicy chicken thighs mingle with perfectly cooked pasta in a rich tomato and white wine sauce accented by garlic and the briny tang of olives and capers. A light sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh parsley, along with lemon wedges on the side, adds a sophisticated finishing touch. This dish makes it easy to enjoy a burst of Mediterranean flair even on your busiest nights.
Whip up this delicious Mediterranean chicken pasta in just 45 minutes. It’s absolutely perfect for busy weeknights and has such incredible flavors – you’ll love it!
Also try baked Italian chicken with potatoes, Mediterranean ground chicken skillet, cavatelli with arugula pesto, Swiss steak, or chicken fricassee.
Why You’ll Love It
A speedy dinner: You can have this Mediterranean pasta recipe on the table in under an hour.
Delicious flavors: Aromatic onion and garlic, zippy lemon juice, tangy white wine, sweet tomatoes, and briny olives and capers add plenty of tasty Mediterranean flavor appeal to the dish.
Easy to make: You just need to cook the chicken, make the sauce, cook the pasta, and finally combine everything to make this tasty dish.
Mediterranean Pasta with Chicken Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Chicken thighs: I like to use boneless skinless thighs, although breasts work too.
Olive oil: The most popular Mediterranean oil.
White wine: Something dry would be ideal.
Italian seasoning: Pairs wonderfully with the Mediterranean flavors.
Olives and capers: For savory, briny flavors.
Pasta: I used radiatori pasta.
Red pepper flakes: Optional, for a little heat.
Garlic: Feel free to add extra.
Tomato paste: Adds a complementary sweet flavor to the dish.
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken and Olive Pasta
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cook the chicken: Cut chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Season chicken and then sear in olive oil until browned all over. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Make the sauce: Cook the onions in the same pot and then add the garlic, red pepper flakes and tomato paste, and cook. Deglaze the pan with white wine and then add the Italian seasoning, tomato sauce and a pinch of salt. Add chicken back into the pan and simmer gently while the pasta cooks.
Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta to perfectly al dente and drain it, saving some of the cooking liquid.
The finishing touches: Add the drained pasta, olives and capers to the pan and toss to coat, adding a little pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick. Adjust the seasoning if needed, then serve hot with parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and some lemon wedges.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free pasta shapes instead of whole wheat pasta.
Chicken thighs: Use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead if you prefer.
Italian seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand, mix equal parts dried thyme and oregano for a quick substitute.
Pasta: While short pasta like radiatori works wonderfully here, other great choices include rigatoni, penne, orecchiette, or fusilli. You could even use spaghetti noodles or fettuccine noodles.
White wine: If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can either use zero alcohol white wine or else use chicken broth in its place.
Tomatoes: Along with the tomato sauce, you could add some halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. Sun dried tomatoes are another idea.
Artichoke hearts: These would be really tasty in the luscious sauce.
Lemon: The dish is served with lemon wedges but, if liked, you can also add a little fresh lemon juice to the sauce.
Make it creamy: Pour in just a splash of heavy cream.
Olives: I recommend a combination of Kalamata olives and Castelvetrano olives for a balance of briny and buttery flavors. Avoid using canned black olives because they lack depth of flavor.
Garnishes: You could serve crumbled feta cheese as well as, or instead of, the parmesan cheese. Fresh basil would also make an attractive garnish, or you could add a drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Begin your meal with antipasto skewers and perhaps marinated mozzarella balls.
Side dishes: Enjoy this Mediterranean chicken pasta with garlic bread and perhaps a lemon and parmesan salad to complement the flavors.
Desserts: Finish up with baklava crinkle or strawberry tiramisu.
How to Store Zesty Olive & Caper Chicken Pasta
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm it back up in a pan on the stove.
Top Tips
Browned chicken: There’s no need to cook the chicken thighs all the way through while browning. They’ll finish cooking perfectly in the sauce during the final simmer.
Cooking onions properly: Keep the heat on medium-low when sautéing onions. You want them tender, not overly dark. If they start to stick, deglaze the pan with a splash of water or chicken stock.
Simmering is key: Letting the sauce simmer does double duty—tenderizing the chicken while thickening the sauce for a perfect consistency.
Balance the flavors: A final squeeze of lemon at the table brightens the rich tomato sauce and enhances the overall flavor.
Garnishes matter: Fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, and lemon wedges add layers of freshness, umami, and brightness that elevate the dish.
Mediterranean Chicken Pasta FAQs
Use enameled cast iron, stainless steel or a high-quality nonstick skillet for this recipe. Avoid regular cast iron, as the acidity of the tomato sauce can damage its seasoning.
Before draining the pasta, reserve some cooking liquid. It’s your secret weapon for adjusting the sauce consistency later. Always aim to reduce your pasta sauce a little more rather than less. If it gets too thick, you can easily thin it with reserved pasta water, but a watery sauce is much harder to fix.
Mediterranean Chicken and Olive Pasta Recipe
Mediterranean Chicken Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 Cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ Cup dry white wine
- 2 Teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 15 Ounces tomato sauce
- 8 Ounces short pasta, eg radiatori, uncooked
- ½ Cup olives, halved
- 1 Tablespoon capers, drained
Optional Garnishes:
- parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- fresh parsley
- lemon wedges
Instructions
Cook the Chicken:
- Season the chicken with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat.
- Once shimmering, add the chicken and sear, undisturbed, for 3 or 4 minutes on one side.
- Flip over and continue cooking until evenly browned, about 8 minutes total.
- Remove and set aside.
Make the Sauce:
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the onions.
- Cook until softened and golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and tomato paste, and toast for 60 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, tomato sauce, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Return the chicken and its juices to the skillet.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Cook the Pasta:
- While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente.
- Reserve a ladleful of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
Combine the Chicken, Sauce and Pasta:
- Add the cooked pasta, olives, and capers to the skillet.
- Toss to coat, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Serve the pasta hot, garnished with parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and lemon wedges for squeezing.
Notes
Cooking onions properly: Keep the heat on medium-low when sautéing onions. You want them tender, not overly dark. If they start to stick, deglaze the pan with a splash of water or chicken stock.
Simmering is key: Letting the sauce simmer does double duty—tenderizing the chicken while thickening the sauce for a perfect consistency.
Balance the flavors: A final squeeze of lemon at the table brightens the rich tomato sauce and enhances the overall flavor.
Garnishes matter: Fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, and lemon wedges add layers of freshness, umami, and brightness that elevate the dish.
Nutrition
This mouthwatering Mediterranean chicken pasta dish is so rich in flavor and incredibly simple to prepare. Offering fresh flavors in every bite, this recipe teams chicken thighs with pasta and the most flavorful sauce with garlic, white wine, olives and capers, Italian seasoning, and more. It’s a speedy dish to put together and would be ideal for dinner on a busy weeknight.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
The flavors in this pasta are amazing—definitely adding to my dinner rotation.