Penne pasta combined with boneless chicken in a homemade pesto sauce; then cooked on top of the stove in a skillet is a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Making meals on top of the stove like this Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta makes me so happy. Not only do you have less mess to clean up, you can generally get dinner on the table much quicker too!
I've mentioned over the years that we grow herbs on our deck during the warmer months and this year is no exception. However, my husband tends to go a little overboard with how many he purchases and I wind up with SO many fresh herbs that I can never use before they go bad.
That's why I tend to freeze them to use during the colder months when growing anything outside in New Jersey is virtually impossible. Right now, I have SO much fresh basil that it warranted me making a new recipe that uses pesto.
Though I've shared quite a few recipes with pesto, I never made a separate post for it. Probably because it's so easy and takes only 5 minutes to make; which is why I will also include the recipe again here today.
How do you make pesto?
A typical pesto is made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, EVOO, grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan) cheese and pine nuts. Rarely do I even use pine nuts in my pesto because they are very expensive. To be honest I can hardly taste them even when I do use it in my recipe so why bother right?
Some people think of the word "pesto" and automatically think it's too labor intensive to make. That's so far from the truth as long as you have a mini food chopper; which i couldn't live without!
Add all of the ingredients to your chopper, pulse until smooth and that's it.
Classic Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a mini food chopper and blend until smooth.
Now you're all set to make this Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta!
How do you make Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta?
For this recipe you'll need boneless chicken breasts, EVOO, pasta, chicken broth and prepared pesto. Start by dicing the chicken int bite sized pieces; then heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through; then add the dry pasta and chicken broth. Place a cover on the skillet and reduce heat to low until the pasta is cooked al dente and there is no more liquid in the pan. Finally, add the pesto, stir until well blended and serve.
I used penne pasta and it took approximately 15-20 minutes for the liquid to absorb. However every stove temperature is slightly different so watch to make sure the pasta is cooked once the liquid is absorbed.
If not, just add a little bit more chicken broth until the pasta is cooked to your liking. If you use other pasta shapes, the cooking times will vary depending on the size used.
Also, you'll need to adjust the chicken broth slightly to accommodate other shapes. This Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta recipe did not disappoint and it was ready in under 30 minutes!
My basil plants have since recouped what I've already trimmed down so it looks like I'll be making more pesto in the near future. ~Enjoy!
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Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces boneless chicken breast
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup prepared pesto
Instructions
- Start by dicing the chicken int bite sized pieces; then heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
- Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through; then add the dry pasta and chicken broth.
- Place a cover on the skillet and reduce heat to low until the pasta is cooked al dente and there is no more liquid in the pan.
- Finally add the pesto, stir until well blended and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Related Recipes
Chicken Pesto with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Olives
Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with Bacon, Avocado and Pesto
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Brandie says
Made this tonight and my children loved it! Used rotini and sprinkled shredded parm on it at the end. I loved how easy it was and that it was one pot! Will definitely make again!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
It's one of our favorites too, I'm so glad you liked the recipe!