You’ll love this fresh spinach pesto pasta served with juicy garlic butter chicken bites. It’s a great weeknight dinner recipe the entire family will love.

Ingredients needed

For the homemade pesto

Baby spinach.
Fresh basil leaves.
Fresh garlic gloves.
Nuts. Pine nuts, almonds, cashews or pecan nuts are all good options.
Parmesan cheese.
Extra-virgin olive oil.
Salt and black pepper.

For the chicken pesto pasta

Pasta. I used spaghetti but any pasta shape of your choice will work. Penne or rigatoni are good options if you want short pasta. Gluten-free pasta can also be used.
Chicken breasts.
Oil.
Paprika.
Dried oregano.
Salt and black pepper.
Butter.
Fresh garlic cloves.
Lemon juice.
Optional: If you want to add veggies to this dish, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and peas can be cooked with the chicken before tossing with the pasta.

How to make pesto pasta

Make the pesto: Place the ingredients for the pesto in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the pesto is the consistency you prefer. Add a splash of oil or more oil if you want the pesto to be a little looser. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed then transfer to an airtight container or jar. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the top of the pesto then store in the fridge until ready to serve. You can store the pesto up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Cook the pasta: Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve one cup of cooking water then drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with the spinach pesto and a splash of cooking water. If you want the pesto sauce to be creamier, add a splash of heavy cream.
Cook the chicken: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken. Slice the chicken into bite-size chunks and place in a medium bowl. Add oil, lemon juice, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper then mix well. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat then add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Add the butter and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
Serve: Serve the pesto pasta with the chicken and fresh basil or arugula.

Pesto pasta recipes

Spinach Pesto Pasta with garlic butter chicken

Delicious spinach pesto pasta with juicy garlic butter chicken bites. This recipe is great as a simple weeknight dinner.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken pesto pasta, pesto pasta, spinach pesto

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 640kcal

Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

For the spinach pesto

3 cups baby spinach washed and dried
1 cup basil
2 garlic cloves
½ cup nuts
½ cup grated parmesan
½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken and pasta

500 g (1lb) chicken breasts cubed
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves crushed
500 g (1lb) pasta

Instructions

Place the ingredients for the pesto in the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse until the pesto is the consistency you prefer.
Add a splash of oil or more oil if you want the pesto to be a little looser.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed then transfer to an airtight container or jar.
Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the top of the pesto then store in the fridge until ready to serve. You can store the pesto up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat.
Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Reserve one cup of cooking water then drain the pasta.
Toss the pasta with the spinach pesto and a splash of cooking water. If you want the pesto sauce to be creamier, add a splash of heavy cream.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken.
Slice the chicken into bite-size chunks and place in a medium bowl.
Add oil, lemon juice, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper then mix well.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat then add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through.
Add the butter and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
Serve the pesto pasta with the chicken and fresh basil or arugula.

Nutrition