Pesto Pasta Chicken

Need an easy under 30 minute meal? Put this one in your weeknight meal rotation.

Ingredients:

10 oz spaghettini

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut in 1" cubes

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsps minced garlic

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup pesto sauce

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 - 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

 

First cook the pasta as directed on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water then rinse in cold water and drain. Set aside.

In a large skillet heat the oil to medium high. Salt and pepper the chicken then sear until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds then deglaze the pan with the broth. Add the pesto. Bring to a simmer then return the pasta to the pot.

While heating through add 1/4 cup of pasta water. Toss together only adding the remaining pasta water if needed.

Serves 4

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Creamy Pesto Chicken

Even though it's creamy this 30 minute meal is a healthy choice, using chicken breasts and only 10% cream rather than heavy cream. And fresh parsley on the plate would have gone a long way to making this look more appetizing!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsps pesto (store bought or homemade)

2 tbsps vegetable oil

Sauce:

2 tbsps butter

1/2 cup sliced onions

2 tsps minced garlic

3/4 cup 10% cream

2 tbsps pesto

1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

If you'd like to make an easy homemade pesto here's the link to my Parsley and Walnut Pesto recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2022/10/parsley-and-walnut-pesto.html

Either slice or use a meat mallet to even out the thickness of the chicken. Then season the cutlets with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of pesto. Set aside 5 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil to medium high in a large skillet and cook the chicken until golden, about 5 minutes per side or until internal temperature of 165°F is reached. Remove to a plate.

For the sauce, using the same skillet, add butter then onion slices and cook until the onion is softened. Add the garlic for 1 minute. Whisk cream and pesto in and simmer to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Return the chicken to the skillet and turn to coat. Heat through and it's ready to serve.

I suppose red bell pepper would have given this plate a pop of colour... oh well, next time. It tasted good and that's what counts!

Adapted from: aheadofthyme.com

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Pesto Sole

Nothing fancy, just a simple weeknight fish dinner. 

Ingredients:

sole filets

pesto (store bought basil pesto or my Parsley Walnut Pesto, see recipe link at end of this post)

onion slices

some fresh parsley sprigs

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Oil a baking dish that is large enough to accommodate your fish then layer some onion slices and parsley sprigs.

Simply spread between 1 tsp - 1 tbsp pesto (depending on size of filets) on each piece of fish and lay on top of the onion slices and parsley. Sprinkle with parmesan, salt and pepper.

Bake at 400°F for about 10 minutes relative to the thickness of your filets, but they'll be cooked when they flake easily with a fork. Serve the fish with the sliced onions.

Link to the Parsley and Walnut Pesto recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2022/10/parsley-and-walnut-pesto.html

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Parsley and Walnut Pesto

Parsley is still growing strong in the garden. So here's a quick and easy recipe that can add a burst of flavour to pasta, fish or chicken. 

Ingredients:

3 cups loosely packed flat leaf parsley

3 heaping tbsps chopped walnuts

2 tsps lemon juice

2 tsps chopped garlic

3 tbsps parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Pull the parsley leaves off the main stalks, the fine ones can stay. Place them in a food processor along with everything except the olive oil.

Now, while the processor is running, pour the olive oil in a thin stream and blitz until smooth.

Your pesto is now ready to use or freeze for a rainy day!

Makes 1 cup. Freeze in ice cube trays then pop out and toss into a ziplock bag. Each cube is about enough for 1 serving of pasta and will be ok in the freezer for 6 months.

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