Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
A rich and herby pasta dish with tender chicken, creamy pesto sauce, and a handful of greens.
Ingredients
- 180 g pasta penne or fusilli work well
- 2 small chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 100 ml double cream or crème fraîche
- 2 heaped tbsp green pesto
- 2 handfuls fresh spinach or rocket
- Grated Parmesan to serve (optional)
- Fresh basil to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a pan like this of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve a splash of the water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then pan-fry for 5–6 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through.
- Transfer to a board and slice into strips.
- In the same pan, lower the heat slightly and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then pour in the cream and stir through the pesto. You can chop the garlic or speed up the process with a garlic press like this.
- Simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. Toss to coat.
- Stir in the spinach and let it wilt into the sauce. Return the chicken to the pan and heat everything through.
- Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh basil if you like. You can save any leftovers for lunch and use containers like these.