Recipe for pasta pesto chicken
Pasta Pesto Chicken is a flavorful and easy dish that combines freshly made pesto with juicy chicken breasts and perfectly cooked pasta. This dish is ideal for a quick weekday dinner but can also impress guests at a cozy dinner. The homemade pesto, made with fresh herbs, parmesan, and pine nuts, provides an intense flavor that elevates the dish to new heights.
By properly searing the chicken breasts, you achieve juicy and tender chicken that complements the pasta and pesto perfectly. The combination of this juicy chicken, the rich pesto, and the tender pasta creates a harmonious and satisfying dinner experience. Served with a good piece of bread and some extra olive oil, this dish is not only delicious but also nourishing and satisfying. It is easy to customize with your favorite herbs and pasta, making it versatile and adaptable to your personal preferences.
The dish can certainly be made with store-bought pesto, that’s entirely up to you.
Pasta Pesto Chicken
Ingredients
Pasta
- 250 g Pasta use a thick pasta like Casarecce
- 20 g Salt
- 2 l Water
Fried chicken breast:
- 2 pcs. Chicken Breast Fillet small
- Salt and Pepper
- Butter or oil, for frying
Green pesto:
- 0,5 bunch Broad leaf parsley fresh - use the herbs you like
- 0,5 bunch Basil Leaves fresh - use the herbs you like
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1-1,5 dl Olive Oil
- 25 g Parmesan
- 50 g Pine Nuts
Serving
- 2 slices Bread
- Olive Oil
Instructions
Pasta:
- Bring salted water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Drain the pasta but keep 0.5-1 dl of the cooking water.
Fried Chicken Breast:
- Take the chicken breasts out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Dry the meat thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a pan to high heat (12 out of 14 on an induction stove).
- Melt the butter in the pan, and when it sizzles, add the chicken breasts.
- Fry the breasts for 4 minutes on each side.
- Turn down to low heat (5 out of 14 on an induction stove) and cook for another 2 minutes on each side.
- Place the breasts on a rack or cutting board and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Slice the chicken breasts thinly, season with flaky salt, and serve immediately.
Green Pesto:
- Quickly rinse the herbs in boiling water to kill soil bacteria, and pat them dry.
- Grate the Parmesan cheese just before use.
- Remove the skin from the garlic and cut it into smaller pieces.
Pesto in Mortar:
- Place the garlic in the bottom of the mortar and crush it into pieces.
- Add the pine nuts and mash them together.
- Add salt, herbs, and Parmesan, and mash everything together.
- Add the olive oil a little at a time and stir well.
Pesto in Hand Blender or Mini Chopper:
- If you don't have a mortar, you can use a hand blender or mini chopper to make the pesto. Follow the same sequence as above.
Serving:
- Mix the pasta with pesto and some of the cooking water to make it all stick together better.
- Serve with the sliced chicken breasts and a good piece of bread with olive oil on top.
- Enjoy!
Notes
