Name: Pesto chicken recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves: 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 15g olive spread (try Benecol® Olive Spread); 2 x 150g skinless chicken breasts; 160g tagliatelle; Steamed broccoli and beans to serve

By GoodtoKnow

published 2 August 2019

in Recipes

Making your own pesto takes just minutes in our Italian chicken and pasta dish, but you could buy shop-bought pesto to speed things up.

Ingredients

15g olive spread (try Benecol® Olive Spread)
2 x 150g skinless chicken breasts
160g tagliatelle
Steamed broccoli and beans to serve

For the

pesto sauce

1 x 25g bag basil leaves
25g pine nuts
15g Parmesan cheese broken in pieces
1 clove garlic
40g 15g olive spread (try Benecol® Olive Spread)

WEIGHT CONVERTER

I want to convert...

grams

cups

Method

To make the pesto: Place the basil in a small food processor or liquidiser and blend until roughly chopped. Add the pine nuts, cheese and garlic and blend again. Add the olive spread and blend to a rough paste. Set aside for later use.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/gas 6.
Melt 15g olive spread in a frying pan and heat until hot over a medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 10 mins, turning frequently to brown both sides. Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for about 10 mins until completely cooked through.
Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the pack instructions and drain well. Stir in the pesto, cover the pan and leave to melt for 1 or 2 mins.
Serve the chicken and pasta on a plate with the steamed broccoli and beans.

Top Tip for making Pesto chicken

The pesto can be made in advance and will keep covered in the fridge for a week.

Trusted, informative, and empathetic – GoodToKnow is the ultimate online destination for parents. At GoodtoKnow, our mission is 'simple': we're trying to make sense of parenthood. On the site, you'll find everything you need for a happy, healthy family life. Our huge archive of content includes more than 18,000 articles and 1,500 how-to videos. These include expert-backed advice features on parenting, dealing with relationship changes after having a baby, self-care for mums and managing your family finances. We also feature tried-and-tested product reviews and buying recommendations for every stage of family life - from prams and Moses baskets to birthday gifts and top toys.