10-Minute Chicken Pesto Pasta Dinner

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This is an extremely quick and simple to cook with ingredients straight from your pantry. It's an Italian-style chicken pasta dinner that combines tender chunks of chicken breast with a silky pesto sauce and plenty of grated Parmesan. With only 10 minutes of cooking time, this dish is an absolute winner for busy nights!

Yield

4 servings

Ingredients

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340 grams (12 oz) pasta
(12 ounces)
126 grams (4 oz) pesto
(1/2 cup)
Salt
2 tsp garlic
Fresh. Grated
450 grams (16 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
(1 pound) (about 2 medium breast halves) sliced into 1 ½-inch chunks
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
To taste
1/4 cup (59 mL) Chopped nuts
such as pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts or almonds, preferably unsalted
30 Grams (1 oz) Parmesan cheese
(1/3 cup) Grated

Instructions

Bring large pot of water to a boil.
Salt
the water generously (about 1 tablespoon kosher
salt
or 2 teaspoons table
salt
per quart).
Add the
pasta
and cook until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water before draining the
pasta
.
While the
pasta
cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and ½ teaspoon
salt
. Cook until it’s cooked through no longer pink, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the
garlic
and red pepper to the pan, cooking just until the
garlic
smells good, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the
pesto
and ¼ cup of the
pasta
water.
Adjust the heat to low and add the cooked
pasta
and cheese to the pan, stirring to combine. If the sauce looks too thick, drizzle in a bit more
pasta
water to reach your desired consistency.
Transfer the
pasta
to a serving bowl. Serve hot, with additional grated cheese alongside.