🍅🌿🐔 Creamy Red Pesto Pasta with Chicken—a vibrant and satisfying dish that's easy to make and packed with flavor! Tender chicken and your favorite pasta coated in a rich and creamy red pesto sauce. A delightful Italian-inspired meal perfect for a quick weeknight dinner! 🧄✨
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Ingredients (Serves 2–3)
🍝 Pasta
8 oz pasta (penne, fusilli, spaghetti, or your favorite shape)
🐔 Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced 🧄
Salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
🍅 Creamy Red Pesto Sauce
½ cup red pesto (store-bought or homemade)
½ cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 🧀
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
🌿 Optional Garnishes
Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Pine nuts, toasted
Extra Parmesan cheese
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Instructions
1. Cook the Pasta
Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
2. Cook the Chicken
While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chicken pieces and cook until browned and cooked through. Add minced garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
3. Prepare the Creamy Red Pesto Sauce
In the same skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds (be careful not to burn it).
Stir in the red pesto and heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
Add the grated Parmesan cheese and continue to stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.
Season the sauce with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Remember that pesto can already be quite salty.
4. Combine Pasta, Chicken, and Sauce
Add the cooked pasta and cooked chicken to the skillet with the creamy red pesto sauce.
Toss gently to coat everything evenly with the sauce.
Add a little of the reserved pasta water if needed to reach your desired consistency.
Cook for another 1-2 minutes over low heat to allow the flavors to meld.
5. Serve
Serve the creamy red pesto pasta with chicken hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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A quick, easy, and incredibly flavorful meal that's sure to become a family favorite! The creamy red pesto coats the pasta and chicken beautifully.
#creamyredpestopasta #chickenpasta #redpesto #ItalianFood #EasyDinner 🍅🌿🐔🍝🧄🧀✨