CREAMY CHICKEN PESTO PASTA RECIPE

Everyone enjoys this extremely fast Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe, and adding chicken and green beans makes it a fantastic weeknight meal.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 x 200g skinless free-range chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1-2 fresh red chilies
• 8 ripe cherry tomatoes
• Pasta and Pesto
• 250 g of green beans
• 1 large bunch of fresh basil
• 50 g blanched almonds
• 50 g Parmesan cheese, plus a little extra for serving
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• 300 g of fresh lasagna sheets
• 200g baby spinach

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY CHICKEN PESTO PASTA RECIPE

STEP 1

Mix the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, fennel seeds, and rosemary leaves. 

STEP 2

Pan chicken with a drizzle of canola oil, unpeeled garlic cloves, and red chili or halved chilies, flipping after 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

STEP 3

Line up the green beans and cut off the stems, place in a pot, cover with boiling water and salt, and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes with the lid on.

STEP 4

Pick a few basil leaves to garnish, then pluck off the stems and place the rest of the bunch in the processor with the almonds, Parmesan, olive oil, and lemon juice.

STEP 5

Crush the unpeeled garlic with a garlic crusher. Pulse until pesto is smooth, add a ladle or two of the bean cooking water to loosen, and season to taste.

STEP 6

Boil pasta for a couple of minutes.

STEP 7

Halve the tomatoes, add them to the chicken and shake the pan.

STEP 8

Add the spinach to the water, then drain, reserving a full cup of the cooking water. 

STEP 9

Add pasta, beans, and spinach to the pan, pour in pesto from the processor, and blend, loosening with splashes of cooking water until smooth.

STEP 10

Cut the chicken breasts in half and serve with the tomatoes and chili “dusted” on top. Finely grate some extra Parmesan cheese over the pasta, then garnish all over with basil leaves.