Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken and Spinach Pesto

Name: Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken and Spinach Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italienische Küche
Ingredients: 300 g skinless chicken breast; 400 g whole wheat pasta (e.g., penne); 125 g fresh spinach leaves; 40 g Parmesan in one piece; 30 g whole hazelnuts; 2 cloves fresh garlic; 70 ml sunflower oil; 1 pinch fine iodized table salt; 1 pinch ground black pepper

4 servings

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Buy all ingredients right below the recipe

Ingredients

300 g skinless chicken breast
400 g whole wheat pasta (e.g., penne)
125 g fresh spinach leaves
40 g Parmesan in one piece
30 g whole hazelnuts
2 cloves fresh garlic

Pantry

70 ml sunflower oil
1 pinch fine iodized table salt
1 pinch ground black pepper

Preparation & Pasta

1
Cook the whole wheat pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente. Cooking time varies depending on the type, usually about 12–15 minutes. Then drain and reserve some of the pasta water.

Frying the Chicken

1
Meanwhile, pat the chicken breast dry, cut into bite-sized cubes, and pan-fry in about 10 ml of sunflower oil (about 1 tbsp) over medium heat for about 5 minutes until golden brown all around. Remove the pan from the heat.

Spinach Pesto & Finish

1
For the pesto, put the fresh spinach leaves, hazelnuts, the remaining Parmesan, and the remaining sunflower oil into a blender. Blend everything into a smooth paste. For a more intense flavor, peel the garlic and blend it in as well. Season with salt and pepper.
2
Mix the cooked pasta with the spinach pesto and chicken cubes. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of pasta water. Arrange on plates and serve.

Tip

For an even more intense aroma, you can briefly toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan before blending.

Gurkerl Küche

Servieren Sie die Pasta mit extra frisch geriebenem Parmesan und ein paar gerösteten Haselnüssen als Topping. Ein Spritzer Zitronensaft im Pesto sorgt für zusätzliche Frische!