Light Pesto Pasta With Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken meets fresh basil pesto and perfectly cooked pasta for a satisfying, healthy Italian-inspired meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 10.5 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz whole wheat or regular spaghetti or penne

→ Pesto

03 - 1.8 oz fresh basil leaves
04 - 2 tbsp pine nuts
05 - 2 garlic cloves, peeled
06 - 1.4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 2–3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
08 - Juice of ½ lemon
09 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Vegetables

10 - 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
11 - 1 handful baby spinach (optional)

→ Garnishes

12 - Extra grated Parmesan
13 - Fresh basil leaves

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - In a food processor, blend basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until a smooth pesto forms. Adjust seasoning to taste.
03 - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and cook 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate.
04 - Add cherry tomatoes and spinach to the skillet and sauté 2 minutes until just softened.
05 - Reduce heat to low, return chicken to the skillet, and add drained pasta. Stir in pesto and a splash of reserved pasta water to create a light sauce that coats the pasta. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and basil.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The homemade pesto comes together in minutes but tastes like you spent all afternoon making it
  • It's the kind of meal that makes you feel like you're eating well without requiring any special cooking skills
02 -
  • Reserving that pasta water is the secret step most people skip, but it's what transforms the pesto from a coating into an actual sauce
  • Don't walk away from the pine nuts while you're toasting them, they go from perfectly golden to burnt in about thirty seconds flat
03 -
  • Taste your pesto before you add it to the pasta, sometimes it needs more salt or lemon than you expect
  • If the pesto tastes too bitter, try blanching the basil leaves for 10 seconds in boiling water before blending

Return