Don’t you love it when you rediscover an old recipe? Over the years your lifestyle, kitchen skill set and taste all evolve, and some of your old family favorite recipes get lost in the shuffle. That’s what happened with this Mediterranean Chicken Pasta recipe. I originally found it in one of those checkout stand recipe booklets by Pillsbury circa 1993. I used to make it all the time, and often brought it to potlucks and parties.
Does anyone do potlucks anymore?
I honestly couldn’t say what made me think of this dish that I hadn’t prepared in close to 10 years, but I recently found myself frantically searching through old recipe books to find it. Lucky for me and you, I found it!
Pasta:
4 quarts water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried  basil leaves
1 teaspoon chicken flavor instant bouillon
8 oz. (3 1/2 cups) uncooked bow tie pasta
Chicken:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Â pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 x 1/2 inch strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup diagonally cut green onions (1/2 inch pieces)
1 Â (2 Â 1/4 oz) can sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon chicken flavor instant bouillon
1 cherry tomato halves
Bring 4 quarts water, 1 tablespoon basil, and 1 teaspoon bouillon to a boil. Add bow tie pasta; cook to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir 6 to 9 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. In small bowl, combine 1/2 cup water and cornstarch; blend well. Stir into chicken. Add onions, olives, 1/4 cup basil and 1/2 teaspoon bouillon; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and glazed. Pour over cooked bow tie pasta; add tomatoes and toss to coat.
Garnish with fresh basil, if desired. 4 servings.
Enjoy!

Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
Pasta:
- 4 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon chicken flavor instant bouillon
- 8 oz. 3 1/2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
Chicken:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2 x 1/2 inch strips
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup diagonally cut green onions 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 2 1/4 oz can sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken flavor instant bouillon
- 1 cherry tomato halves
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water, 1 tablespoon basil, and 1 teaspoon bouillon to a boil. Add bow tie pasta; cook to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; keep warm.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir 6 to 9 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. In small bowl, combine 1/2 cup water and cornstarch; blend well. Stir into chicken. Add onions, olives, 1/4 cup basil and 1/2 teaspoon bouillon; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and glazed. Pour over cooked bow tie pasta; add tomatoes and toss to coat.
- Garnish with fresh basil, if desired. 4 servings.
- Enjoy!
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You had me at Mediterranean and pasta. Looks yummy.
This looks so yummy! I love cherry tomatoes!
Yum! I’m totally making this. I’m going to switch the chicken with the fake stuff 🙂
oh delicious! if only we could take the plates off the screen! i need to try this one.
this would be great in the height of summer, when the tomatoes are really in season
This looks so yummy. I love salads
We love chicken and we love pasts. This seems like a really easy recipe and I could make enough for 2 days!
sounds yummy. I love that it doesn’t have spinach in it – which is typical in Mediterranean food. I substitute, but it’s never the same. I like the lightness of this recipe for summer. I’m pinning this for the summer.
Looks delicious..basil will make the food yummy
I like this recipe. I’d add some EVVO and maybe even more basil.