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Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is a quick and delicious Italian-style dish, perfect for a special date night or simple comfort food.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Entree
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 444.6 kcal

Equipment

  • medium pot
  • large non-stick skillet
  • bowl

Ingredients
  

Pasta and Chicken

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • to taste Kosher salt
  • to taste Black pepper
  • 8 ounces penne pasta preferably with ridges
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sauce and Toppings

  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese plus more for serving if desired
  • ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes drained if packed in oil
  • ½ cup basil pesto homemade or quality store-bought, plus more if desired
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Handful torn basil leaves for garnish

Instructions
 

Cooking Steps

  • Season the chicken. Add the chicken to a bowl and season with Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
  • Cook the pasta. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it well with about 1 tablespoon of salt, and cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions (about 8 to 9 minutes).
  • Cook the chicken. In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes.
  • Drain the pasta. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
  • Combine. In the pan with the chicken, lower the heat and stir in the cooked pasta, heavy cream, parmesan, and sundried tomatoes, adding cooking water as needed for consistency.
  • Add the pesto. Turn off the heat, stir in the basil pesto, and finish with grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, and basil leaves. Serve.

Notes

Stir vigorously when combining pasta with the sauce to release starch and thicken the sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 444.6kcalCarbohydrates: 33.4gProtein: 24.7gFat: 23.3gSaturated Fat: 7.8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6.2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 75.3mgSodium: 363.1mgPotassium: 551.4mgFiber: 2.3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 858.6IUVitamin C: 2.8mgCalcium: 118.4mgIron: 1.5mg
Keyword Chicken, Comfort Food, Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta, Dinner, Pasta, pesto
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