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.
Servings 4
Calories 640kcal
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 tbsp lemon juice
- 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
Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 1033mg | Potassium: 653mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 2619IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 3mg
