Need to up your chicken game, try chicken with pesto and prosciutto with a creamy sauce over pesto coated pasta. Friends and family will be licking their plate it’s so good.
I’ve been searching for a really flavorful chicken recipe that uses pesto, pesto chicken with prosciutto was just what I was looking for. The ones I’ve tried before have been ok but not great. While it took a few tries, I developed this recipe which has so much flavor and even has pesto on the pasta itself. This is what happens when you have a big basil plant in the backyard!
How do you make homemade pesto
You’ll need about 2 cups of packed basil leaves. Place the basil in a food processor with ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup of pine nuts and 3 cloves of garlic. Process until combined and then drizzle in ½ cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
You can use homemade pesto, which is great if you can get your hands on fresh basil. Since I only have fresh basil for a couple of months, I end up purchasing it in the cold months. I think what makes this dish so good is the prosciutto. If I can, I’ll stop at the Italian market to get their prosciutto, fresh pasta and parmesan. If not, this is still fantastic if you just use what you can find in the grocery, but fresh is always better.
The slightly salty flavor from the prosciutto, combined with the pesto makes the sauce amazing, and the crunchy pine nuts are a great addition. While it’s made with cream, the flavors are so rich, that it doesn’t need to be smothered in sauce, a little goes a long way. I made a double recipe to freeze and my dinner companions suggested I take a photo of my empty plate to demonstrate how good this really was. (I didn’t lick the plate, but wanted to) I would not hesitate to serve this for a dinner party.
Pesto chicken has a couple of steps, but some you can do in advance so that you can just finish it off for your guests.
How do you make this creamy pesto chicken recipe
- Step 1: Marinate the chicken in a mixture of egg whites, pesto and oregano for about 30 minutes. Toast the pine nuts.
- Step 2: Dredge the chicken in a little flour and cook it in a skillet with butter and olive oil. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Step 3: In the same skillet, cook some shallots and garlic and add prosciutto, pine nuts, and parsley. Cook for a bit and then add cream, more pesto and parmesan. Add the chicken back to the skillet.
- Step 4: Cook the pasta, drain and add some pesto to the pasta.
- Step 5: Serve the chicken over the pasta and drizzle the sauce over the top..
You can do steps 1 and 2 in advance and then start with step 3 about 15 minutes before you’re ready to eat.
Need some new recipes for chicken breasts
- Smother them in queso and tomatoes for a quick dinner
- Cook them with tomatoes and top with mozzarella
- Keep it simple with lemon and garlic
- Add a creamy sundried tomato sauce
- Roast chicken thighs with dates
Pesto Chicken with Prosciutto
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pesto Divided
- 1 pound chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 tablespoon butter
- 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 ounces bucatini pasta
- ¼ cup shallots finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ pound prosciutto thinly sliced, cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 1 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1” wide by 2” long strips. Mix egg whites, lemon juice, oregano and 2 tablespoons of pesto and stir to combine. Place in a sealable bag along with chicken strips and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Mix the flour salt and pepper. Dip the marinated chicken strips in the flour and coat on both sides.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken strips in a single layer and cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes, or just until cooked through(165º). Cook in two to three batches using an additional tablespoon of butter and oil if needed. Remove to platter.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, sauté the shallots until translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add chopped prosciutto, parsley and toasted pine nuts and cook for one more minute. Add cream and 3 tablespoons of pesto. Stir in ⅓ cup of the Parmesan cheese until melted into the sauce. Save the rest for serving. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet with the sauce and gently mix to combine. Simmer until chicken is warm.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- To serve, mix two to three tablespoons of pesto with the cooked pasta and place on a serving platter or individual plates. Top with chicken and cream mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
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