Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta is made with skinless free-range chicken breasts, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, green beans, lasagne sheets, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, almonds, and lemon. This vibrant Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe creates delicious a dinner that takes about 40 minutes to prepare and can serve up to 4 people.
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
🧡 Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe:
- Tasty Mix: This dish mixes the great tastes of basil pesto and juicy chicken. Every bite is yummy.
- Easy to Make: This fancy-tasting pasta is really easy to cook, which makes it a great choice for a quick meal.
- You Can Change It: You can make this pasta just how you like it. Add more or less garlic and chillies, or throw in some other veggies you like.
- Good for You: It has fresh veggies, chicken, and good oils. It’s healthy and fills you up.
- Looks Great: The bright green pesto and the different shapes and colors of the ingredients make this pasta pretty to look at and fun to eat.
🍗 Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 2 x 200 g skinless free-range chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and lightly crushed
- 1-2 fresh red chillies, halved
- 8 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
For The Pasta & Pesto:
- 250 g green beans, ends trimmed
- 1 large bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked (some reserved for garnish)
- 50 g blanched almonds
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- 300 g fresh lasagne sheets, cut into random handkerchief shapes
- 200 g baby spinach
🍝 How To Make Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Prepare Your Kitchen: Begin by gathering all ingredients. Then boil water in a kettle, heat a large frying pan and a large lidded casserole pan on high heat, and ready your food processor with the bowl blade.
- Prepare the Chicken: Place chicken breasts on a large sheet of greaseproof paper. Season with sea salt, black pepper, fennel seeds, and rosemary leaves. Fold the paper over and bash the chicken to about 1.5 cm thick using a rolling pin.
- Start Cooking the Chicken: Next, heat the rapeseed oil in the frying pan, add the seasoned chicken along with the unpeeled garlic cloves and halved chilies. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Then add the halved tomatoes during the last few minutes to soften them slightly.
- Cook the Pasta and Green Beans: While the chicken cooks, place the trimmed green beans in the casserole pan, cover with boiling water, and cook for 6 minutes with the lid on. After 4 minutes, add the lasagne sheets to the pan and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
- Make the Pesto: In the food processor, combine the basil leaves (save some for garnish), almonds, grated Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and the additional garlic clove. Blitz until smooth. Gradually add a ladle of the cooking water from the green beans to adjust the pesto to a creamy consistency.
- Combine Pasta and Vegetables: Drain the pasta and beans, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Return them to the pan, stir in the baby spinach, and pour in the pesto. Mix everything well, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to create a silky sauce.
- Serve: Slice the chicken breasts in half and place them on plates. Spoon the cooked tomatoes and chili over the chicken. Sprinkle with the reserved basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese. Serve the pasta alongside the chicken.
💭 Recipe Tips
- Make the Chicken Flat: Make sure the chicken is flat, about half an inch thick. This helps it cook fast and even. You can use a rolling pin to do this.
- Watch the Garlic and Chillies: Keep the garlic and chillies whole while cooking the chicken. Take them out if they start to burn or if they make the flavor too strong.
- Use Fresh Pesto Ingredients: Always use fresh basil and lemon for the pesto. Fresh stuff makes the pesto taste better and fresher.
- Save Some Pasta Water: Always keep some of the water from boiling the pasta. This water is good for making the pesto sauce creamy and helping it stick to the pasta.
- Don’t Cook the Vegetables Too Much: Make sure the green beans and spinach stay bright and a bit crisp. If they cook too long, they lose their crunch and color.
🧆 What To Serve With Chicken Pesto Pasta?
Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta pairs well with a crisp Caesar salad, steamed broccoli, garlic bread, and roasted asparagus. It can also be served alongside sautéed mushrooms, buttered peas, a fresh garden salad, and herbed focaccia for a delicious meal.
🎚 How To Store Leftovers Chicken Pesto Pasta?
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: It’s best not to freeze this dish as the pasta and fresh vegetables may become mushy when thawed.
🥵 How To Reheat Leftovers Chicken Pesto Pasta?
- In The Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the pasta in an oven-safe dish, sprinkle a little water over it, cover with foil, and heat for about 10 minutes or until hot.
- In The Microwave: Put the pasta in a microwave-safe dish, add a splash of water, and cover. Heat on high for 1-2 minutes, stir, and repeat if necessary until heated through.
- On the Stove: Reheat the pasta in a skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of water and stir occasionally until the pasta is hot, about 5 minutes.
FAQs
How Should I Season The Chicken For Pesto Pasta?
For this recipe, season the chicken breasts with sea salt, black pepper, fennel seeds, and fresh rosemary leaves before cooking.
How Can I Make Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta?
To make the pasta creamier, you can add a little cream or some Greek yogurt to the pesto when you mix it with the pasta. Mix everything well so the sauce covers all the pasta and veggies nicely.
What Other Veggies Can I Put In Chicken Pesto Pasta?
You can add more veggies like sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, or sliced black olives.
Can I Use Leftover Or Canned Chicken In This Recipe?
Yes, you can use chicken that’s already cooked or canned chicken. Just add it to the pan to warm up.
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta Nutrition Facts
- Calories 364
- Total Fat 11g
- Saturated Fat 2.2g
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 54mg
- Sodium 176mg
- Potassium 298.7mg
- Total Carbohydrates 43g
- Dietary Fiber 2.6g
- Sugars 0.9g
- Protein 24g
Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta
Description
Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta is made with skinless free-range chicken breasts, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, green beans, lasagne sheets, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, almonds, and lemon. This vibrant Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe creates delicious a dinner that takes about 40 minutes to prepare and can serve up to 4 people.
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
For The Pasta & Pesto:
Instructions
- Prepare Your Kitchen: Begin by gathering all ingredients. Then boil water in a kettle, heat a large frying pan and a large lidded casserole pan on high heat, and ready your food processor with the bowl blade.
- Prepare the Chicken: Place chicken breasts on a large sheet of greaseproof paper. Season with sea salt, black pepper, fennel seeds, and rosemary leaves. Fold the paper over and bash the chicken to about 1.5 cm thick using a rolling pin.
- Start Cooking the Chicken: Next, heat the rapeseed oil in the frying pan, add the seasoned chicken along with the unpeeled garlic cloves and halved chilies. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Then add the halved tomatoes during the last few minutes to soften them slightly.
- Cook the Pasta and Green Beans: While the chicken cooks, place the trimmed green beans in the casserole pan, cover with boiling water, and cook for 6 minutes with the lid on. After 4 minutes, add the lasagne sheets to the pan and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
- Make the Pesto: In the food processor, combine the basil leaves (save some for garnish), almonds, grated Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and the additional garlic clove. Blitz until smooth. Gradually add a ladle of the cooking water from the green beans to adjust the pesto to a creamy consistency.
- Combine Pasta and Vegetables: Drain the pasta and beans, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Return them to the pan, stir in the baby spinach, and pour in the pesto. Mix everything well, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to create a silky sauce.
- Serve: Slice the chicken breasts in half and place them on plates. Spoon the cooked tomatoes and chili over the chicken. Sprinkle with the reserved basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese. Serve the pasta alongside the chicken.
Notes
- Make the Chicken Flat: Make sure the chicken is flat, about half an inch thick. This helps it cook fast and even. You can use a rolling pin to do this.
- Watch the Garlic and Chillies: Keep the garlic and chillies whole while cooking the chicken. Take them out if they start to burn or if they make the flavor too strong.
- Use Fresh Pesto Ingredients: Always use fresh basil and lemon for the pesto. Fresh stuff makes the pesto taste better and fresher.
- Save Some Pasta Water: Always keep some of the water from boiling the pasta. This water is good for making the pesto sauce creamy and helping it stick to the pasta.
- Don’t Cook the Vegetables Too Much: Make sure the green beans and spinach stay bright and a bit crisp. If they cook too long, they lose their crunch and color.
Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta