Chicken with Pesto and Pasta Recipe
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.
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 Notes + Tips
- 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
Calories: 1024kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 1026mg | Potassium: 644mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1483IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 3mg
