This easy pesto chicken pasta is a simple, comforting, family dinner that’s full of flavour, with a delicious creamy sauce.
I love a quick pasta dish for a weekday dinner. This easy pesto chicken pasta is quick, satisfying, filling and pure comfort food. Every family cook needs a few pasta dishes in their repertoire and this one is bound to be a hit!
Why Should You Cook This?
- Super simple and adaptable
- Great as leftovers for lunch the following day
- A balanced meal with veggies, carbs and protein
- Suits a lot of picky eaters. For more meal ideas check out my post on picky eating
Variations
You can experiment with different types of pesto. I’ve used red pepper pesto as it’s the favourite in our house. It’s also delicious with green pesto or sun dried tomato pesto.
You can roast some chicken pieces in the over instead of pan frying them. Chicken thighs with their skin on are great and a cheaper alternative to chicken breast.
Serve with
This easy pesto chicken pasta is great as it is but if you wanted to add more veggies then serve it with a crispy side salad.
Troubleshooting and Questions
Why is my pasta sticky?
If pasta is sticking together then it is usually because it has been overcooked. Make sure to follow the instructions of the packet and alway use a timer. Your pan needs to be big and have plenty of water in it to let the pasta circulate while cooking. You can also try stirring the pan a couple of times after adding the pasta. As it hits the boiling water the pasta releases starch and causes it to stick together, so stirring at this stage will help prevent sticking.
Why is my chicken chewy?
Chicken can go tough and chewy if it has been cooked for too long or if it has been left uncovered. It’s easier to overcook meat if the heat is too high. Try lowering the heat and cooking the chicken till it is just cooked through. This recipe advises you to butterfly the chicken breasts making it thinner and easier to know when it is cooked. I tend to make a small cut into the thickest part of the chicken. If there is no pink then the chicken is done.
Ingredients
Pasta – you can use any pasta you like. I’ve used penne here but any other shape is fine. Try using wholewheat pasta for extra fibre
Oil – I use olive oil but vegetable or sunflower is also fine
Chicken – it’s best to use chicken breast for this dish but you could use the more budget friendly boneless chicken thighs
Peppers – you can use red or yellow, slice them into strips
Pesto – use your favourite type
Garlic – fresh is better than granules for this recipe
Lemon – fresh
Herbs – this dish is lifted with the addition of fresh herbs. I’ve used fresh thyme here but you could also use basil or parsley
Cream – single is fine for this
Stock – you can use chicken or vegetable stock
Step by Step – Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta
First, prepare and cook the chicken. Butterfly the chicken breasts to make them thinner then season them with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken on each side for around 5-6 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Set the chicken aside on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
While the chicken is cooking, place the pasta in a pan of boiling, salted water and cook according to the packet instructions.
Add the peppers to the pan that you cooked the chicken in and fry on a high heat for around 3 to 4 minutes till softened.
Turn down the heat, then add the pesto and garlic and heat through.
Pour the stock, cream and any juices from the chicken into the pesto and bring everything to a simmer.
Add the cooked pasta, a squeeze of lemon, some ground pepper and your fresh herbs to the sauce and toss together.
Serve the pasta with the chicken on top and a wedge of lemon. Delicious!
Storage
The pasta can be eaten the next day as leftovers. It is great cold or reheated.
For another delicious pasta recipe, try my slow cooker spaghetti bolognese.
Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 375 g pasta
- 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
- 4 chicken breasts
- 3 red, yellow or orange peppers, sliced
- 1 small jar pesto
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, thyme or parsley
- 150 ml single cream
- 200 ml chicken stock
Instructions
- First, butterfly the chicken breasts to make them thinner, then season them with salt and pepper
- Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken for around 5-6 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Set the chicken aside on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm
- While the chicken is cooking, place the pasta in a pan of boiling, salted water and cook according to the packet instructions
- Add the peppers to the pan that you cooked the chicken in and fry on a high heat for around 3 to 4 minutes till softened
- Turn down the heat, then add the pesto and garlic and heat through for 1 minute
- Pour the stock, cream and any juices from the chicken onto the pesto and bring everything to a simmer
- Add the cooked, drained pasta, a squeeze of lemon, some ground pepper and your fresh herbs to the sauce and toss together
- Serve the pasta with the chicken on top and a lemon wedge on the side. Delicious!
Leave a Reply