I made the classic chicken pesto pasta which needs no introduction and it proved to be even more special with homemade basil pesto using our own homegrown basil leaves! It can’t get any better right?
Hello fellas! Weekend just got over and we are almost ready to hit another work week. Well, I won’t complain if I can enjoy such satisfying bowl of chicken pesto pasta using homemade basil pesto and some juicy bites of chicken every weekend!
This classic chicken pesto pasta is so insanely addictive that you won’t be able to get over it and this is not just a statement; it’s a warning! Even the images of this gorgeous-looking chicken pesto pasta are making me hungry now!
I hope I would be able to complete writing this post before reaching out for some midnight snack. Is it only me or these images are making you hungry too? Basil pesto is an all-rounder in every sense. It is a classic with pastas and you will understand why so once your try and taste this incredible chicken pesto pasta on your own!
Basil pesto is also great for salads or even on toasts. For pastas, you are free to use any shapes or sizes you like. It is great both with short and long pastas as long as each pasta is coated with the flavorful green pesto sauce.
I had planned to make a chicken pasta salad too with this batch of pesto, but unfortunately, it couldn’t materialize! Wondering why? Well, we fell in love with this chicken pesto pasta so much so that I made the same dish twice back to back during this weekend and used up all our homemade basil pesto! Can you believe it!
And this is the very first time ever that there was no left-over pasta! So, you see some stuffs are really magical like this homemade basil pesto and the super-addictive chicken pesto pasta! Then what are you waiting for? Just get cracking!
Last weekend was a long one for us with Friday being a holiday and thankfully I could get some time to relax as well as to chalk out some future plans for our beloved blog. Those are little long-term plans and it’s not the right time yet to discuss; but I promise to keep you all posted!
After all, because of all you readers, this blog exists in the first place. So, this long weekend did shower me with some rewarding experiences and this irresistible chicken pesto pasta with homemade basil pesto is definitely one of them!
I can’t stress enough on the fact how good homemade basil pesto can be. Nowadays all the major supermarkets carry these Italian basil leaves and they are of the same family of the popular holy basil used in Indian households, only the Italian basil being more on the sweeter side.
In case you are not lucky enough to get your hands on fresh basil leaves in your city, you can try growing them in your kitchen garden. Trust me, it is as easy as child’s play to grow basil plants at home as all they need is good sunlight which we get ample in most states of India.
You just need a small pot, some potting soil, basil seeds and a good sunny place at some corner of your house. You don’t even need to water them daily; may be once in 3 days or when the soil turns dry depending on the humidity of your place. If you are able to grow one basil plant, you are sorted.
That one plant will give you so much seeds that you will never run out of them. It is just one-time negligible investment and the return over it is absolutely never-ending! Try making this chicken pesto pasta using homemade basil pesto and I am sure you will thank me for the rest of your life! Enjoy!
- Tagliatelle pasta – 300 gms
- Homemade spinach basil pesto – 1 cup
- Boneless and skinless chicken breast – 2
- All-purpose flour – ½ cup
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente i.e. cooked but still retains a bite. Save some pasta water, about half a cup and drain the pasta. Quickly rinse the pasta in cold water, drain out all the water and set aside. It is best to use a colander for draining the pasta to make sure all water drains out.
- If the chicken breast is too thick, you can either pound it using a wooden spoon or a rolling pin to make it about half inch thick; or you can cut it cross-sectional lengthwise so that you end up with 2 thin chicken cutlets. Do the same for the other chicken breast too. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and crushed black pepper to taste.
- Now heat the olive oil in a skillet. While the oil is getting hot, place the all-purpose flour on a plate and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Mix well.
- Not dredge each chicken cutlet with the flour on both sides and place it on the skillet. Cook the chicken on medium-low heat until you see a golden crust forming on top of the chicken cutlets. This will take about 5 minutes on each side.
- Take the cooked chicken out on a paper towel and let it cool. Once cooled, cut the chicken cutlets into bite size pieces.
- Now to assemble the final pesto pasta, take a large stock pot or any vessel with high sides. Add half cup of the basil pesto and let it warm but not too hot.
- Now add the cooked pasta, the cubed chicken and toss everything well using a kitchen tongs. Check and adjust for seasoning if necessary.
- Finally add the remaining pesto and give a final toss. Serve your chicken pesto pasta warm topped with more pesto or some grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
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