Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Why You’ll Like It

• Creamy Mediterranean-style chicken that’s more than just cream
• Toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of pesto make it incredibly irresistible!
• A warm version of our fan favorite Angel Hair Summer Pasta Salad.

For The Perfect Chicken Mushroom Pesto Pasta

• Toast the pine nuts first before adding oil and other ingredients to the pan. This way, you won’t need to use another pan, saving you from extra dishes.
• Don’t burn the garlic. If it does burn, start over to avoid ruining the dish’s flavor.
• This dish already has flavorful ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and a drizzle of pesto. However, feel free to adjust with some salt and pepper while cooking.

What You Need

• Pasta: Use farfalle, penne, rigatoni, or ziti, either white or wholemeal.
• Chicken: Use chicken breasts or skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
• Olive Oil: Use for frying and at the end.
• Aromatics & Spices:
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Mince two cloves of garlic and stir-fry. When in a hurry, you can use garlic powder and garlic salt instead of just salt.
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Use sun-dried tomatoes, or for a variation, try slightly salted roasted tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil.
• Mushrooms: Use chestnut mushrooms and optionally mix with some dried porcini mushrooms.
• Cheese: For the sauce, use a mix of mascarpone cheese and Parmesan. Alternatively, you can use spreadable cream cheese or 100ml milk with a tablespoon of cornflour instead of mascarpone, and pecorino or grana instead of Parmesan.
• Garnish:
  • Pesto: Use a drizzle of homemade or store-bought pesto. Alternatively, try other types of pesto or replace it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
  • Pine Nuts: Toasted pine nuts add a unique flavor; omit if you don’t have them.
  • Basil Leaves: You can replace them with fresh cilantro or some dried oregano.

Saving Creamy Chicken Farfalle For Later

• Leftovers: Store leftovers in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop, adding a little milk to separate the farfalle.
• Make-Ahead: You can cook the sauce and chicken ahead of time, but do not mix them with the farfalle or any pasta you use.
• Freezing: This dish is not suitable for freezing.

Serving the Chicken Pesto Pasta

This dish takes less than half an hour to prepare, especially if you have all the ingredients ready beforehand. I recommend starting 20 to 30 minutes before lunchtime because eating it fresh is much better.

I like serving this dish with a side of spinach or arugula and a squeeze of lime, alongside a glass of sparkling water or lime-infused water.

If I have to choose a dessert to finish lunch, I would opt for my citrus panna cotta, brandied oranges or a shot of limoncello. 

Health Info

More Mediterranean Recipes:

• Baked Rice With Tomato Meat Ragu – for a Southern Mediterranean taste.
• One-Pot Roast Spatchcocked Chicken
• Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini as an appetizer or a main
• Pea and Feta Risotto
• Sour Cherry and Hazelnut Chocolate Semifreddo – uses only 5 ingredients