Easy Pesto Pasta with Chicken
You are going to fall in love with this easy pesto pasta with chicken recipe. It is by far the best pesto pasta recipe that has been created for families. It's easy to create and easy to pair delicious chicken or any other protein as a side. This is a 30 minute recipe that you will use time and time again.
Equipment
- Stock Pot
- Skillet
- Mallet
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Cavatappi cooked
- 1/4 cup Reserve pasta water
- 2 Chicken breast halved and pounded thin
- 4 tbsp divided Tuscan seasoning
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp extra virgin oil
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 3-4 tbsp. Creamy basil pesto
- 1/2 cup small mozzarella balls
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- Great parmesan as garnish
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and cook cavatappi until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of starchy pasta water.
- Slice your chicken breast in half. And use plastic wrap to cover and pound them until they are one half inch thin.
- Season The chicken breast on both sides with the Tuscan seasoning and a little bit of kosher salt.
- Heat your skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Once your skillet is hot, add your chicken. Flip the chicken after 4 minutes of cooking on each side. The chicken should come out golden brown and perfectly seared.
- Remove your chicken from the skillet.
- In the same skillet, add garlic, chicken broth and reserve starchy pasta water. Add 3 tablespoons of creamy basil pesto.
- Whisk all together until blended. This will create your creamy pesto sauce. Let this reduce for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Once the sauce has reduced some, add your cooked pasta and extra seasoning to the skillet and mix and cook in the sauce for about 1 to 2 minutes
- Once all the cavatappi is coated, add caprese salad mixture to the skillet and mix well.
- Remove everything from the heat. And add chicken to the top.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Make sure to cook your pasta al dente. This is a great way to create more texture when eating.
Make sure that you taste your dish. Add extra seasoning if you need.
Add as much caprese salad mix or as little as you want.
Make sure that you taste your dish. Add extra seasoning if you need.
Add as much caprese salad mix or as little as you want.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 1087kcalCarbohydrates: 144gProtein: 28gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 7210mgPotassium: 448mgFiber: 9gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1981IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 7mg
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