Spinach Pesto Chicken Recipe
This recipe creates a flavorful Spinach Pesto Chicken with spiral pasta. Fresh spinach and pistachios form a vibrant pesto, tossed with pan-seared chicken cubes and cooked pasta. It's a quick, comforting, and wholesome meal, ready in just 20 minutes.
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor For blending the pesto ingredients.
- 1 Large Pot For cooking the spiral pasta.
- 1 Large Skillet For cooking the chicken.
- 1 Chef's Knife and Cutting Board For chopping chicken and garlic.
- 1 Spatula or wooden spoon For stirring and tossing ingredients.
Ingredients
Main
- 2 cups packed spinach leaves stems removed
- 1/3 cup pistachios
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 medium clove garlic coarsely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 pound chicken breast chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups cooked spiral pasta
Instructions
- Cook spiral pasta according to package directions; drain and reserve a small amount of the pasta water.
- In a food processor, combine the packed spinach leaves, pistachios, olive oil, coarsely chopped garlic, and lemon juice.
- Pulse until a coarse, vibrant pesto forms. Stir in the grated pecorino romano cheese and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Season the 1-inch chicken cubes generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Melt the tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the seasoned chicken cubes to the hot skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the cooked spiral pasta and the prepared spinach pesto to the skillet with the chicken.
- Toss all ingredients together thoroughly until the chicken and pasta are evenly coated with the pesto. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Taste the dish and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
- Serve immediately, garnishing with extra pecorino romano or a lemon wedge if desired.
Notes
For a vibrant pesto, ensure spinach is thoroughly dried to prevent a watery sauce. Lightly toasting the pistachios before blending amplifies their nutty depth. When cooking chicken, avoid overcrowding the skillet to ensure a proper sear and even cooking, which prevents dryness. The pecorino Romano is quite salty, so season with caution, tasting as you go. A splash of reserved pasta water can help emulsify and thin the pesto if it's too thick, ensuring it coats the pasta and chicken beautifully. Finish with a fresh squeeze of lemon.