Saturday, March 24, 2012

Chicken Pesto Pasta


I think everyone has a pesto pasta recipe, this is my take on it.  I love this recipe because it is delicious but also because it is so quick to make - literally in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta you will have made a very yummy sauce.  The key is to chop the chicken and zucchini quite finely so it cooks quickly.

The recipe uses bought pesto.  You can make your own, but this is my quick, go to recipe out of ingredients that I nearly always have in the pantry and fridge.

Do you have a super quick, super tasty recipe?

Pesto Chicken Pasta
(serves 2)

Half a jar pre-made pesto
Thickened Cream
1 chicken breast
2 zucchini
vegetable oil
a handful of rocket (or baby spinach)
penne

Heat your frying pan over a medium-high heat.  Put your pasta water on to boil.

Chop up your chicken breast, toss in a little vege oil, throw in the fry pan.  Chop up the zucchini (I like to make little batons).  When the chicken is half cooked, throw in the zucchini.

Meantime your water should have boiled, so add salt and your pasta.

Keep an eye on your chicken and zucchini stirring occasionally.  When the pasta has about 2-3 minutes to go, the chicken and zucchini should be cooked.  Turn the pan down, add the pesto and enough cream to make a nice sauce that coats everything.  Taste and add some cracked black pepper if you like.

Drain the cooked pasta, put it back in the saucepan, add the rocket and stir through the sauce.  Serve and enjoy!


7 comments:

  1. Yum! Looks tasty, and so very simple! Will have to try this soon :)

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    1. Do try it. It was the perfect Friday night meal, cooked with a glass of red in hand last night!

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  2. I've never liked normal pesto, but I bet this would be lovely with the sundried tomato kind. Might even make the red wine more necessary, too ;)

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    1. I have made it with the sundried tomato pesto and yes it is delicious! In fact when I bought the normal pesto yesterday I picked up a jar of the sundried stuff because it is so yummy and useful.

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  3. I wish I liked pesto. It is such a versatile ingredient and seems to make things 'fancy' so quickly! But sadly I just don't...so I'll have to admire this from one step removed :)

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    1. Kari try it with the sundried tomato pesto like Hannah suggested, it is very yummy. I didn't like pesto for years, then one day was eating something and thought this is delicious, only to find it was pesto. Bizarre really!

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