Photography by James Tse
Food Styling by Ruth Gangbar
First published in Wish September 2004
TIME SAVER
Knock 10 minutes off prep time by using a jar of ready-made pesto.
food
Pesto Chicken Pasta
Impressive every time, this dish also works well as a cold pasta salad. Sans chicken, this is a great vegetarian option, too.
Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
| Pesto | |
|---|---|
| 3 | cloves garlic |
| 1/2 cup | pine nuts, lightly toasted |
| 1 cup | grated Parmesan cheese |
| 3 cups | loosely packed fresh basil leaves |
| 1 tsp | kosher salt |
| 2/3 cup | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| Pasta | |
|---|---|
| 1 | rotisserie chicken |
| 2 tsp | salt |
| 1 | 1-lb box of pasta |
| 1 pint | cherry tomatoes |
Instructions
Pesto (from scratch!)- In a food processor, chop garlic.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- With the motor running, slowly pour in oil until well blended.
- Boil a large pot of salted water.
- Cook pasta until it’s al dente. Meanwhile, pull the chicken meat off the bone and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Cut tomatoes in half.
- Drain the pasta and, while it’s still hot, toss in the pesto and tomatoes.
- Add chicken, garnish with shaved Parmesan and serve.
Comment on "Pesto Chicken Pasta"
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Amanda writes:
I have made this several times now and everyone loves it. It is so quick and easy to make and it tastes delicious. I recommend it for everyone.
—posted August 4, 2006 at 8:18 a.m.
Janet B. writes:
How much ready made pesto would you use? Editor's Note: Use the full amount of Pesto that you make.
—posted March 1, 2007 at 4:54 p.m.
zoreena writes:
If I buy the ready-made pesto, how much do I use for 1 pound of pasta? Thanks -
—posted October 6, 2007 at 5:50 p.m.
Thomas writes:
I made this a little while back for my girlfriend and it was a hit! I made a few slight modifications though: first, I just chopped the garlic very finely by hand due to lack of a food processor. I didn't have any pine nuts or tomatoes, so I excluded that. I also didn't have any basil leaves, so I used one tablespoon of of ground basil instead. I also substituted chicken for pork, and I called it "Pork Pesto Pasta". I made it a second time with chicken, and called it "Poulet Pesto Pasta". Everyone who's tried it loves it! I can't wait to make it again!
—posted December 13, 2007 at 10:54 p.m.
Sharon L-H Canada writes:
This recipe is really very good and as is my style and reputation as a cook I made some modifications. Instead of using store bought chicken, I sauted chicken breasts sprinkled with a Herb & Garlic spice until lightly brown then removed them from the pan. I added red, green & yellow peppers as well as fresh mushrooms and proceeded to saute these for about 10 minutes on medium high until al dente (or still crunchy). Then added the home made Pesto to the pan along with the tomatoes and drained pasta...absolutely wonderful.
Note: I tried a similar Pasta dish at an Italian Restaurant by the same name and it wasn't as good as the one advertisefd in your magazine. Thanks so much.
—posted April 30, 2008 at 4:49 p.m.
rolo writes:
I absolutely love pesto chicken pasta.
—posted October 14, 2008 at 1:58 p.m.
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