Loaded with tons of smoky grilled veggies and chicken, this California-style grilled chicken vegetable pasta is an awesome way to use up all that summer produce!
We’re celebrating summer how it’s meant to be today! With the most colorful Cali-style pasta bowls you will ever lay eyes on.
These bowls really do have it all and even more. There’s smoky grilled chicken, a mess of tender grilled summer vegetables, tons of pasta, a little creamy homemade guacamole, and don’t even get me started on all the toppings options.
Summer eating at its absolute finest! We’re going all in on the summer eats today.
These bowls are a staple in our house during the summertime for a few reasons with the main ones being A) it uses up so much incredible summer produce B) it’s easy to customize your own bowl C) they’re ready in under an hour and won’t heat up your kitchen too much.
I mean, can you even argue with all that colorful goodness??
These Pasta Bowls feature…
- Juicy grilled chicken breasts
- Tender grilled zucchini, sweet pepper, and cherry tomatoes
- A base of tender pasta
- Tons of toppings including homemade guacamole, fresh mozzarella, sweet corn, and more
Making the Pasta Bowls
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Avocado
- Lime juice
- Chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Sweet pepper
- Zucchini
- Cherry tomatoes
- Garlic
- Pasta
- Shredded lettuce or sprouts
- Mozzarella
- Sweet corn
- Basil
Choosing Your Chicken
I recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. This lean cut of chicken is fast to cook up on the grill and turns out super tender and juicy every time.
If you don’t have thighs on hand, boneless skinless chicken thighs will work great instead, however, you may need to adjust the cook time slightly. Always use a kitchen thermometer to test the internal temperature of meat and cook until meat reaches 165F.
Tips for Perfect Pasta Bowls
- Prep toppings before grilling – ideally, you want all your toppings ready to go before grilling so you can assemble the bowls immediately afterwards so everything stays warm.
- Cut vegetables in uniform size – take care when slicing your vegetables so they end up the same size and cook evenly.
- Grill vegetables in a grill basket – this will keep the vegetables from falling through the grill grates. You can also use a sheet of tin foil.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this pasta.
- Add a dressing – try drizzling bowls with Italian dressing, green goddess dressing, or Greek dressing.
- Skip the meat – omit the chicken for vegetarian-friendly bowls.
- Use different veggies – try mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, or summer squash.
- Use a different base – try replacing the pasta with steamed quinoa, rice, or zucchini noodles.
Stovetop and Oven Instructions
Don’t have a grill? You can make this recipe on the stovetop or in the oven instead!
Stovetop: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet (or brush over a large cast iron grill pan) Once pan is hot, add chicken and sear on both sides until chicken registers 165F. Repeat cooking with vegetables until tender. Note: if your chicken breasts are a bit on the thick side, I recommend searing chicken on both sides, then finish cooking in a 400F oven 5-10 minutes.
Oven: Arrange chicken and vegetables in a single layer on a greased sheet pan. Bake at 400F 20-25 minutes until chicken registers 165F.
This is just pure summer goodness, folks! The grilled chicken and veggies are so simple, but they seriously take this pasta to the next level with all that wonderful smoky flavor.
And the toppings? As always, the more you can pile in your bowl the happier you’ll be.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch this pasta made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More summery pasta dishes to try next!
California Grilled Chicken Vegetable Pasta
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 2 medium avocados, pitted and diced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large sweet pepper, cored and sliced
- 1 large zucchini, sliced into half-circles
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb pasta (a short cut such as penne, rigatoni, farfalle, etc)
- Shredded lettuce or alfalfa sprouts, diced fresh mozzarella, sweet corn, and fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Place avocado and lime in a small bowl and mash well with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Place chicken breasts on a plate and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Rub olive oil all over chicken and season with salt and pepper.
- Place sweet pepper, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl and toss in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste until evenly coated.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to 400F OR prepare a large skillet to use indoors on stovetop by greasing well.
- Arrange chicken on grill and place vegetables in a grill basket or on a sheet of tin foil on grill. Turn chicken and toss vegetables occasionally until vegetables are charred and chicken registers 165F (cook chicken and vegetables in batches if cooking on stovetop adding additional oil as needed for pan)
- Allow chicken and vegetables to cool slightly then transfer chicken to a cutting board and cut into cubes.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Divide between 5 serving bowls and top with grilled chicken and vegetables.
- Top bowls with scoops of mashed avocado, shredded lettuce or alfalfa, fresh mozzarella, sweet corn, and fresh basil. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe tips and photos on 5/2/24.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
This pasta bowl looks incredible, Sarah! It’s just screaming summer and all of those fresh flavors! I love the grilled veggies and chicken. What a perfect meal. Can’t wait to try this out!
Sarah says
Thanks so much Gayle! You totally need to try these bowls asap!
Joanne says
I love how this is like VEGGIES with a side of pasta…and maybe some chicken. Such a bright and beautiful bowl!
Sarah says
Veggies are definitely the superstar here! The way it should be. 😀 Thanks girl!
Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Cooking & Creating says
What a fresh and colorful meal! This is just perfect for summertime! I love all those fresh veggies!
Sarah says
Aww thanks so much Kelly! xoxo
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
What beautiful pasta bowl! This meal reminds me of something my mom used to make us when we were kids, with pasta, chicken and fresh veggies.
Sarah says
Thanks so much Ashley! That’s so cool that these bowls are similar to something you ate during the summer when you were a kid!! 😉
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Sarah, these pasta bowls are GORGEOUS!!!! exactly what I want to be eating all summer long!!!!
Sarah says
Aww you’re totally the sweetest, Alice! Thanks girlie! xoxo
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen says
That’s awesome that you made these with zucchini and tomatoes from your garden! I can’t get over how gorgeous and fresh these look. And you topped them with guacamole?! Yuuuummm!!
Sarah says
Thank you Kristine! You’re too kind! <3 😀
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
These pasta bowls are so gorgeous, Sarah! I love all the pretty summer veggies you packed in them! So fresh, healthy and delicious!
Sarah says
Thanks so much Kelly! Glad you love them. 🙂
Jen | Baked by an Introvert says
I had no idea a pasta bowl could look so stunning! Seriously, this is gorgeous. All those bright crisp colors. I want to dive right in!
Sarah says
You are too sweet, Jen! Thanks so much for the super-kind words! xoxo
Kennedy Cole@KCole's Creative Corner says
YUM! This looks so fresh and flavorful! I LOVE all of those different veggies in here! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
Thanks Kennedy Cole!!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
Love all the veggies. What a fantastic meal for summer! 🙂
Sarah says
Thanks Christin!
Izzy says
Sarah, these bowls are just gorgeous!! I love how colorful they are and all those grilled veggies are just awesome! I would be eating these everyday too if I were you! I always get so behind on the recipes in my head too and it is so nice to finally make some them and have them come out exactly how you imagined 🙂
Sarah says
Awww you are totally the best, Izzy! These bowls are completely up your alley, girlfriend! You’ve gotta try ’em. 😉
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
These are some serious sometime deliciousness and oh so peeerrr-ty bowls of yum! Love the vibrant beautiful colors and the abundance of scrumptious veggies up in herrr! I can see why these cali bowls have you jazzed up and feeling all sorts of happy- I’m giddy just looking at them! Definately pinning to make later! Yum! Cheers♡
Sarah says
Thank you for pinning and for the super-kind words, Cheyanne!!
Kristen says
this looks great, but am I missing where the corn comes into play?
Sarah says
Thanks for catching that mistake, Kristen! Fixed. 🙂
elenka says
The photographs look beautiful with all the food divided up like that, but in reality, don’t you just mix it all up together to eat it? Otherwise I would think you’d have some very bland pasta on your hands. Where does the flavor come from?
Sarah says
For a nice presentation, I like to separate the ingredients in bowls, but once it’s time to serve, I’ll always toss everything together to make sure the pasta is nicely flavored. 🙂
Juliette says
Very visually appealing but the end product was quite bland and the theme seems to be torn between summer and southwest. :/ Fun to try and look at but that’s about all I got from it.