Description
A flavorful dish of pesto pasta topped with crispy Parmesan chicken, offering a balance of freshness and crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 300 g (10.5 oz) pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, or your favorite shape)
- 100 g (about 4 cups packed) fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 50 g (1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for pesto)
- 75 g (1 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for chicken)
- 30 g (1/4 cup) lightly toasted pine nuts
- 2 large chicken breasts (about 450 g or 1 lb)
- 1 large egg
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the pesto: In a food processor, combine basil, garlic, pine nuts, and grated Parmesan. Pulse until finely chopped. With the processor running, slowly add olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta: In a large pot of salted boiling water, add pasta. Cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain.
- Coat the chicken: Flatten chicken breasts between plastic wrap. Season with salt and pepper. Beat egg in a shallow dish. In another dish, combine grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Dip each chicken breast in egg and then breadcrumb mixture.
- Fry the chicken: Heat a skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Cook chicken for 6-7 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Combine pasta and pesto: In the large pot, toss pasta with pesto. Add reserved pasta water gradually until the sauce reaches desired consistency.
- Serve: Plate the pesto pasta and top with sliced crispy chicken. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.
Notes
For extra flavor, consider adding cherry tomatoes or steamed broccoli to the pasta. You can use walnuts or sunflower seeds as substitutions for pine nuts in the pesto.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying and Blending
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 590
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 33g
- Cholesterol: 105mg