We eat A LOT of noodles in our house, because my kids love them. My kids will eat anything, as long as it’s embedded in some type of pasta! We also love pesto, and we managed to use up the very last bit of our basil plant before the frost got to it.
Pesto is a condiment/sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts (usually), and olive oil. Bottled/jarred pesto often has A LOT of oil and salt in it, but making your own from scratch isn’t too hard. With homemade pesto, you can control the amount of salt and oil you put in!
You could also use walnuts, pistachios or cashews in the pesto. We have a cashew/pistachio allergy in our house, so we used pine nuts even though they are expensive. Nuts are so healthy for you! Most Americans don’t eat nearly enough nuts, and this is a great way to get those nuts in.
I tossed some chicken on top for some extra protein. It’s usually a good idea to marinate the chicken in some acid and aromatics (I used lemon and garlic) to add some extra salt-free flavor.
Bucatini With Pesto and Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked bucatini pasta
- 12 ounces uncooked boneless chicken breast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
Pesto Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup pine nuts (walnuts, cashews and pistachios also work)
- 2 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove in a bowl to make a marinade for the chicken breast. Add the chicken breast, turning to coat. Put plastic wrap over the bowl and set it in the fridge to let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil a pot of water and heat the noodles according to package instructions.
- While the noodles are cooking, put all the pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix it until it forms a paste.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, and spritz the skillet lightly with nonstick spray.
- Cook the chicken breast in the hot skillet, about 4 minutes per side. You'll know the chicken is done cooking when a thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 °F. (putting a lid on the skillet with help it cook a little faster)
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or cutting board and let it rest for about 3 to 5 minutes before cutting it into bite-size pieces.
- Stir together the hot pasta and the pesto paste. Arrange the chicken pieces on top.
