Need to up your chicken game, try this chicken with pesto and pasta, with a homemade creamy sauce enhanced with prosciutto. Extra pesto coats the pasta for a show stopper dinner for friends or family.
I love the fresh flavor that pesto adds to any dish. Add some prosciutto and cream to this chicken with pesto and pasta and you have an amazing sauce to serve over super tender chicken breasts. Prosciutto transforms the sauce from good to amazing.
But don’t stop there, coat the pasta with even more pesto for a dinner special enough to serve for friends and one your family will be asking for again and again.
Homemade pesto is great if you can’t get your hands on fresh basil. Since I only have fresh basil for a couple of months, I end up having to purchase pesto in the colder months to use for this dish. You can find pesto in the refrigerated section of some groceries. It also comes in a jar.
Pro tip: Did you know you can freeze pesto. If you just want small portions, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, remove to a resealable freezer bag. For larger portions, place in a resealable bag and add a thin layer of olive oil to the top to prevent it from turning brown
I think what makes this dish so amazing is the prosciutto. When I have time, I’ll stop at the Italian market to get it along with some fresh pasta and parmesan. If not, this is still fantastic if you use what you can find at the grocery, but fresh is always better.
Why you’ll love chicken with pesto and pasta
- This is a perfect comfort food meal.
- Fresh basil really brightens all the ingredients.
- The pasta soaks up all the flavors from the sauce.
- Learning to make homemade pesto will be addicting and you’ll want to find more ways to enjoy it.
The slightly salty flavor from the prosciutto, combined with the pesto makes the sauce out of this world, and the crunchy pine nuts are a great addition. Since it’s made with cream, it’s a rich sauce so a little goes a long way.
The last time I made this, 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.
What you’ll need
- Pesto – this coats the pasta and the chicken, the fresh basil really shines.
- Chicken breasts – marinating the chicken is key to tender chicken breasts.
- Egg whites – save the yolks and make some scrambled eggs later
- Bucatini pasta – spaghetti noodles can be substituted or any other type of linguine.
- Prosciutto – this cured meat has a slightly sweet and salty flavor.
- Pine nuts – if this is your first time cooking with these edible seeds, it probably won’t be your last!
- Heavy cream – this helps make a flavorful sauce and thickens it but you can sub half and half if you want to make it a little lighter.
- Parmesan cheese – compliments the ingredients with its rich flavor.
- Pantry staples – Parsley, shallots, garlic, oregano, butter, lemon juice, olive oil, flour, salt, pepper.
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.
For any left over pesto, try making pesto stuffed chicken breasts or mini quiches with pesto, or freeze it and add it to your next batch of soup.
How do you make this creamy pesto chicken recipe
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.
- 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..
Pro tip: You can do steps 1 and 2 in advance and then start with step 3 about 15 minutes before you’re ready to eat.
Recipe notes
- Penne pasta is an easy substitute for the pasta if you prefer the tube shape.
- For those that love a kick to their meal, add some red pepper flakes to the top.
- Do not crowd the chicken as you cook it. Cook the chicken in two batches if needed.
What to serve with pesto chicken
This delicious meal has a lot of flavor and is a meal in itself. However a light salad like a spinach and strawberry salad goes nicely with the rich sauce from the pasta.
FAQ and tips
Pine nuts are actually seeds that come from a pine tree! They are common in making pesto and are soft and nutty flavored. But because they take a long time to grow and harvest, they are actually more expensive than most nuts.
Great question. Some dishes cook up great with the pasta added in like taco spaghetti, but not this one. There is not enough liquid to cook the pasta.
Pesto chicken and pasta will freeze, let it cool completely before freezing. When ready to serve, let it come to room temperature and cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350º for 5-8 minutes.
Use a meat thermometer and remove when it reaches 160º. They will continue to cook when added back to the sauce.
Need some new recipes for chicken breasts
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Chicken with Pesto and Pasta Recipe
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(160º). Cook in two to three batches using an additional tablespoon of butter and oil if needed. Remove to a 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.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You can use any type of linguine or even penne pasta.
- For those that love a kick to their meal, add some red pepper flakes to the top.
- Do not crowd the chicken as you cook it, you may need to cook it in two batches.
- You can use chicken tenders.
Nutrition
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So yummy! This is a new comfort food!
I agree, nothing like it!