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Chicken Spaghetti Pesto

A delicious way to prepare chicken, spaghetti, and pesto sauce. It is easy to make more or less based on how many people you are serving.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Course: pasta
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: chicken spaghetti pesto, pasta with pesto chicken
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 781kcal
Author: jfletcher

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 pair of tongs
  • 1 Food processor (if making your own pesto sauce)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup store bought or homemade pesto sauce
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 chicken breasts from rotissary chicken or grilled Italian chicken
  • 1 package spaghetti (1 pound)

If making Italian Chicken

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1.5 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 6 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper (to taste or omit)
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (you can omit this if you prefer)

If making pesto sauce from scratch

  • 2 cups packed basil leaves or 8 ounces
  • 4 to 6 garlic cloves
  • 1.25 cups olive oil
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/2c cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

If making grilled Italian chicken (otherwise skip)

  • Combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, crushed garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper into a bowl and mix to account.
  • Toss the chicken breasts with the marinade. For best results, allow it to sit for a least a half hour. It can also rest all day in the fridge if you plan to make this for dinner. You can also just grill the chicken once coated.
  • To grill, use a grill pan, indoor grill, or outdoor grill and cook each side for about 3 to 4 minutes on high heat or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
  • Allow to cool slightly and then shred or cut into smaller pieces.

If making homemade pesto sauce (otherwise skip to below)

  • Combine the garlic, basil, walnuts, and parmesan cheese into the bowl of a food processor.
  • Pulse unitl you get a thick paste with small, roughly even chunks of walnuts.
  • Slowly stream the olive oil into the paste and pulse.
  • The paste should transform into a sauce. It is ready when it cannot hold its shape on a spoon. If it is too thick, add more olive oil. If it is too loose, add a few more walnuts or parmesan cheese, a little at a time.

Making chicken spaghetti parmesan

  • Start a pot of water boiling and prepare the spaghetti according to package instructions. (You can work on making the pesto sauce and grilled chicken as the water comes to a boil and spaghetti cooks.)
  • If you are using rotissary, shred the breasts while the pasta cooks.
  • Carefully drain the pasta and return the spaghetti to the pot or a large serving bowl.
  • Add in either grilled chicken pieces or shredded chicken breasts, homemade or store bought pesto sauce, and parmesan cheese.
  • Use tongs or two spoons to toss the chicken, spaghetti, and pesto sauce together until well coated.
  • Serve with more parmesan cheese, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, or more cheese as a topping. A side of bread and a salad go well with chicken spaghetti pesto.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 781kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 787mg | Potassium: 579mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1325IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 2mg
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