Chicken Pesto Pasta

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Ready in 30 minutes Serves 4 - 5
This dish most recently appeared in My Family (5 Nights For 4) on Sunday, November 18, 2018.

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 1 broccoli
  • 1 courgette
  • 1 pack chicken thighs
  • 350g pasta
  • 125g frozen peas
  • 150g cream cheese
  • 1 pack green pesto

Crumb (optional)

  • ½ Tbsp melted butter
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Steps

  1. Prep veggies and chicken Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cut broccoli into small florets. Cut courgette in half lengthways, thinly slice on an angle. Pat chicken dry and dice 2cm. Set all aside separately
  2. Cook pasta Cook pasta in pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Add broccoli, courgette and peas to pot. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until pasta and veggies are tender. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain well. Return pasta and veggies to pot with a little oil to avoid sticking.
  3. Brown breadcrumbs Melt butter with a small drizzle of oil in a large fry-pan on medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs to pan and cook, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve pan.
  4. Cook chicken Heat a drizzle of oil in reserved pan on high heat. Cook chicken for 5-6 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Turn to ensure even cooking. Set aside covered, to keep warm.
  5. Finish pasta Add reserved pasta water, cream cheese, green pesto, 1 tsp salt and chicken to pot. Mix well to combine and season with pepper.
  6. Serve pasta sprinkled with crumb.

Nutritional Information

Energy 3049 kj
729 kcal
Protein 33.7g
Carbohydrate 55.6g
Fat 43.1g