Mediterranean Chicken Pesto Pasta
I love pasta 💖, and it shows. I have at least 50 recipes that I have posted so far, like Lamb Ragù, Penne alla Vodka, Pastitsio, Italian Sausage, Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni, Creamy Chicken Alfredo, Tuna Casserole, and many, many more.
During the summertime, I don’t eat as much. I usually make either my Classic Pasta Salad, Greek Tuna Pasta Salad 🐟, Pasta Primavera, or Macaroni Salad.
Another one I do make during the hottest months is my Mediterranean Chicken Pesto Pasta! This is so delicious! With fresh ingredients and seasonings, along with chicken 🐓 and pasta, this is a satisfying meal perfect for enjoying during summer.
As the title suggests, there is pesto 🍃 in it. Last year, I shared part one of Pesto 8 Ways – by the way, the second part of Pesto 8 Ways is coming up next month on September 1st.
The first four pesto recipes were Basic, Italian, Asian, and Mexican. In the making of my Mediterranean Chicken Pesto Pasta, I use the Italian Pesto recipe along with my homemade Italian seasoning 🥫… it’s so tasty!
It’s a quick recipe as long as there are a couple of ingredients already prepped ahead. Blanching asparagus 💦 is one of them, and it can be done at the same time as sautéing the chicken.
The most important one is the pasta. It has to begin cooking prior to starting with the recipe. If it’s done, drained, and the cooked pasta is sitting in a colander, a good kitchen tip to prevent it from sticking together is to pour some oil on it, stir 🥄, and repeat until the noodles are lightly coated.
If you’re a pasta lover 🍝, you’ll be craving some this season, so make this flavorful Mediterranean Chicken Pesto Pasta. This dish is so fresh and certainly another “summer” favorite to add to your folder.
Bon Appétit!🍽
Check out these other delicious pasta recipes…😀
– Lasagna Roll Ups
– Creamy Tortellini Boscaiola
– Spicy Sausage Penne all’Arrabbiata
– Creamy Shrimp Linguine
– Spaghetti alla Carbonara
– Smoked Salmon Fettuccine Alfredo
– Hamburger Helper Copycat
– Meat Manicotti
– Gnudi aka Malfatti
and for even more pasta recipes 🍝, click on this link… Recipe Category • Pasta & Pizza
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
Mediterranean Chicken Pesto Pasta
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Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ground Himalayan pink salt, to taste
- freshly ground mixed peppercorns, to taste
- 1 tbsp. olive oil tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. clarified butter
- 1 cup red onions, diced
- ½ cup red peppers, diced
- ½ cup yellow peppers, diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon
- ¾ cup Italian pesto see Recipe
- ½ tbsp. Italian seasoning see Recipe
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- ¾ lb. (12 oz.) asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces and blanched tips & tricks
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, washed and halved tips & tricks
- 1 can (2 oz.) sliced black olives, drained
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice tips & tricks
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 lb. (10 oz.) penne rigate, cooked
- 1 cup Grana Padano cheese (substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano), grated tips & tricks
- 2 tbsp. pine nuts optional
Directions
- Generously season the chicken pieces with ground sea salt and freshly ground mixed peppercorns; set aside.
- When hot, add chicken and sauté until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add onions; sauté for 1 minute.
- Add red peppers and yellow peppers; sauté 1 minute.
- Add pressed garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken broth and dry white wine. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add Italian pesto, stir it into the mixture and cook it down a little bit, 1 ½ minutes.
- Season with Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute.
- Add blanched asparagus and return the chicken including any accumulated juices; mix it well and cook for 1 minute.
- Add cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives, lemon juice and lemon zest; stir well. Add cooked penne rigate and gently stir until well mixed.
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