Description
Chicken pesto pasta is one of those dishes that overdelivers for how little work it takes. Seared chicken sliced over penne tossed in homemade basil pesto with cherry tomatoes and a handful of toasted pine nuts. The pesto coats every tube of pasta in herby, garlicky, Parmesan-laced green sauce, and the chicken makes it a proper dinner. Twenty-five minutes, start to finish.
Ingredients
Units
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the penne in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water before draining.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken 6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice.
- Make the pesto: combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse while drizzling in the 1/2 cup olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Toss the drained penne with the pesto, adding pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until the sauce is creamy and coats every piece.
- Fold in the cherry tomatoes. Plate the pasta and top with sliced chicken. Garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.
Notes
- Toasting the pine nuts before blending intensifies their flavor and adds a subtle nuttiness that raw pine nuts lack.
- Pasta water is what transforms pesto from a thick paste into a smooth, pourable sauce. Add it gradually — you want silky, not soupy.
- Homemade pesto freezes beautifully. Make a double batch and freeze in ice cube trays for instant pasta nights.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 740
- Fat: 30
- Carbohydrates: 54
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 42
- Cholesterol: 95