Arrabiata and Alfredo are two of the most popular choices of sauces to make pasta, and for obvious reasons. You can never get bored of their creamy, cheesy flavour mixed with the goodness of pasta. It’s 2021 and just like everything else, there are tons of pasta variations. Some good and some really good.
Pesto pasta falls in the category of the latter. Made from basil, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese, this is a pasta you can count on for comfort food. Luscious and creamy, it fills you right up leaving you feeling beyond satiated. Here we share a pesto pasta recipe with chicken that you can easily make with a handful of ingredients from your kitchen. Check it out!
Get started by ordering fresh pieces of tender chicken from Licious. Our chicken is packed fresh, and delivered fresh! It is temperature-controlled between 0-4℃ so it is always fresh, never frozen making it absolutely delicious for any dish you choose to cook.
What Is Pesto Sauce?
All things Pasta originate from Italy and so does pesto sauce. The literal meaning of ‘Pesto’ in Italian is ‘to crush’. Which makes sense as all the ingredients that go into pesto sauce are crushed together to make a bright green sauce.
Can Pesto Sauce Be Used In Dishes Other Than Pasta?
The exciting thing about pesto sauce is that you can use it not just in your pesto pasta, but also in sandwiches or as a dip. Though it tastes incredible with pasta, a great many pizzas have out done themselves with a little of pesto sauce. Salads also get quite the zing with the addition of pesto sauce. Pesto can be had as is for a fresh, nutty flavour or made creamy depending on your mood.
How To Store Pesto Sauce & How Long Does It Last?
Pesto lasts for about a week when stored in an airtight container. Always remember to refrigerate. Here’s a pro tip: Retain that gorgeous green color of your pesto sauce by adding a layer of olive oil on top of it. This will help prevent it from turning brown in your air-tight container. But since it’s so easy to make pesto sauce, you can whip up a fresh batch when you feel like it!
Let us know how your Chicken Pesto Pasta turned out to be in the comments below. If you post your recipe on social media, hashtag us at #MadeWithLicious and tag Licious on Instagram. We’d love to see your delicious creations.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 250 gm Penne Pasta
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 400 gm boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup raw pine nuts, almonds
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Ingredients
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- Pesto Sauce: Mix basil, garlic, pine nuts, almonds and Parmesan in a mixer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly add olive oil and give it a good mix.
- Take a large pot and add enough water to it. Add a little salt and bring the water to a boil. Then add the pasta, sprinkle some drops of oil and let the pasta cook for 8 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water
- Take a skillet pan and heat some oil in it. Add the chicken pieces, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper. On medium-high flame sauté the chicken well for 6-8 minutes or until it is cooked through. Turn off the flame.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet. Then add the chicken and Pesto sauce. Stir the ingredients well. Then add the starchy water to loosen up the sauce. Cook for a few minutes until it thickens slightly and serve hot.
Recipe Tip
Add vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, mushrooms or sun-dried tomatoes to this recipe. Sauté them along with the chicken.
Share your version of this recipe
Have you tried a different way to prepare chicken pasta? How do you make Chicken Pesto Pasta at home? Share your version with us!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use leftover chicken to make this recipe?
Yes. You can use leftover roast chicken or barbecued chicken to make this recipe.
Which pasta can I use instead of Penne?
If Penne pasta is not available then you can use Bowties or Rotini to make this recipe.