Girl Dinner Pasta Board (Printable Version)

A playful platter with three pastas, grilled chicken, and sauces, ideal for sharing and mixing flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pastas

01 - 3.5 oz spaghetti
02 - 3.5 oz penne
03 - 3.5 oz farfalle

→ Chicken

04 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
05 - 1 tbsp olive oil
06 - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
07 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Sauces

08 - 1 cup marinara sauce
09 - 1 cup Alfredo sauce
10 - 1 cup pesto sauce

→ Toppings & Garnishes

11 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
13 - ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
14 - ¼ cup black olives, sliced
15 - 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti, penne, and farfalle separately following package directions. Drain and toss each with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
02 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
03 - Grill chicken breasts for 5 to 7 minutes per side until fully cooked and juices run clear. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into strips.
04 - Heat marinara, Alfredo, and pesto sauces separately over low heat in small saucepans until warmed through.
05 - Arrange the three pasta types in distinct sections on a large serving board or platter.
06 - Place grilled chicken strips alongside the pastas. Spoon each warmed sauce into small bowls and position them on the board.
07 - Add Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, and sliced olives in bowls or piles around the platter. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the pasta just before serving.
08 - Invite guests to mix and match pastas, sauces, and toppings to their preference.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everyone gets to build their own perfect bite, mixing pastas and sauces however they like.
  • It looks like you spent hours arranging a fancy charcuterie board, but it's just boiled pasta and grilled chicken.
  • Cleanup is shockingly easy since everything lands on one big platter.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, and you can even toss them together for a completely different meal the next day.
02 -
  • Salt your pasta water until it tastes like the ocean. Bland pasta won't get rescued by sauce alone.
  • Don't skip resting the chicken after grilling or all the juices will run out onto your cutting board instead of staying inside the meat.
  • Warm your sauces gently. I once scorched Alfredo on high heat and it separated into a greasy puddle.
  • Toss each cooked pasta with oil immediately or you'll end up with a solid pasta brick that you have to pry apart with a fork.
03 -
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment if you don't have a big wooden board. It's easier to clean and nothing rolls off the edge.
  • Grill extra chicken and freeze the sliced strips. Next time you can skip that step and just thaw them while the pasta cooks.
  • If you're serving a crowd, double the pasta and sauces but keep the chicken amount the same. People fill up on carbs faster than protein.
  • A squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the whole board right before serving brightens everything and makes the flavors pop.
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