Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad served warm with Basil and Lemon

Step 1

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Pick basil leaves from stems and discard stems; reserve a few leaves for garnish and mince remaining. Zest and quarter lemon.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 TBSP olive oil (4 TBSP for 4 servings), minced basil, lemon zest, juice from half the lemon, salt (we used ½ tsp; use 1 tsp for 4), and pepper. Set aside.

Step 3

Once water is boiling, add pasta to pot. Cook until al dente, 13-15 minutes. Drain.

Step 4

Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with a few large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Turn off heat; stir in garlic herb butter.

Step 5

While chicken cooks, dice tomato into ½-inch pieces. Dice mozzarella into ½-inch cubes.

Step 6

Stir pasta, chicken, tomato, and mozzarella into bowl with dressing until everything is coated. Season with salt and pepper; divide between bowls. Tear reserved basil leaves into pieces and sprinkle over pasta. Top with a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Slice remaining lemon into wedges and serve on the side.