Name: Pasta with peas and pesto chicken recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 300g dried pasta (farfalle, penne or similar); 250g frozen peas; 400g chicken breast, diced into 2cm pieces; 1tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil; 3tbsp red pesto; 2tbsp Cheddar cheese, grated

By Jessica Dady

published 2 August 2019

in Recipes

With just 5 mins prep and 15 mins cooking time, this speedy chicken pasta makes a brilliant weeknight family meal. Pesto is a thick and creamy Italian sauce that goes perfectly with meat or fish so it's a great addition to this chicken pasta recipe. The peas add a garden freshness and count towards one of your 5-a-day, but you don't need to stop there, you could also add sweetcorn and asparagus or any other of your family's favourite veggies!

Ingredients

300g dried pasta (farfalle, penne or similar)
250g frozen peas
400g chicken breast, diced into 2cm pieces
1tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
3tbsp red pesto
2tbsp Cheddar cheese, grated

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Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook for 10 mins, until the pasta is almost ready, then add the frozen peas. Bring back to the boil, cook for 1 min, then drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chicken pieces. Saute over a medium heat for 5-6 mins, stirring regularly, until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. Add the pesto and cook for a further minute.
Add the pesto chicken into the drained pasta and peas, mix well and season to taste. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and serve in bowls, with warm crusty bread.

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 12 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies.