Pesto Chicken Pasta

Name: Pesto Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Quick Weeknight
Ingredients: 12 oz short pasta (penne or fusilli); 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cubed; 2 tbsp olive oil; to taste Salt and black pepper, to taste; 2/3 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade); 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/2 cup reserved pasta water; 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving; 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted (optional); to taste Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Seared chicken and al dente pasta get tossed together in a vibrant basil pesto loosened with starchy pasta water, then finished with cherry tomatoes and parmesan. It's a fast, fragrant dinner that tastes like it took much longer.

By YumYum Editorial · Quick Weeknight

Prep: 10 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 30 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

12 oz short pasta (penne or fusilli)
1 lb boneless chicken breast, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
to taste Salt and black pepper, to taste
2/3 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted (optional)
to taste Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through.
Add cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook 2 minutes until they just begin to soften.
Reduce heat to low and stir in the drained pasta, pesto, and a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated, adding more pasta water as needed for a silky consistency.
Stir in parmesan and toss again.
Plate and top with toasted pine nuts, extra parmesan, and fresh basil.