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Description
This Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta is a no-muss, flavorful recipe that uses pantry staples and easy to find ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 8 ounces penne pasta, preferably with ridges
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for serving if desired
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained if packed in oil
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or quality store-bought, plus more if desired
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Handful of torn basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, season the chicken pieces with Italian seasoning, along with a generous pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
- In a medium pot, bring water to a boil and add about 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the penne pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, approximately 8 to 9 minutes.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden brown and is fully cooked, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Once the pasta is cooked, reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Reduce the heat in the skillet with the chicken, then incorporate the drained pasta, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and sun dried tomatoes. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed. If the mixture appears dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until the pasta is evenly coated and glossy.
- Remove the skillet from heat and mix in the basil pesto. Finish by sprinkling with additional grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, and torn basil leaves before serving.
Notes
TECHNIQUE TIP: Stir vigorously to thicken the sauce with pasta starch.
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.
SUBSTITUTION: Swap sun-dried tomatoes for cherry tomatoes for a fresher taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 444.6 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 363.1 mg
- Fat: 23.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.4 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 24.7 g
- Cholesterol: 75.3 mg
